Close Your Eyes
by Buffychick
Summary: It's five years in the future...Buffy dreams that Angelus has returned and gets the entire gang involved, including bringing Angel, Cordy, Gunn and Wesley to Sunnydale, along with several other favorites! The end to Season 5 is altered a bit...Buffy neve
1. Close Your Eyes

A storm was coming

A storm was coming. The wind kicked up and made the fall leaves dance around her as she walked through one of the many Sunnydale cemeteries. It smelled like rain and she wrapped her sweater more tightly around her shoulders. There was a full moon, which, despite six years having gone by, always reminded her of Oz. She wondered where he was now, what he was doing since he left the small California town. It still struck her as ironic that the one thing he loved in all the world was her best friend, Willow, and that was the one thing he couldn't have. And that scenario was one all too familiar. 

Buffy stopped in front of a crypt to admire the intricate engraving that adorned the door. She sighed, "I can't believe I can admire these things now, that I can find beauty in them." She'd been a Slayer for a long time. At the age of 26 she was the oldest Slayer in history, something she was fiercely proud of. She planned to be around for many, many more years, Slayer or not. She ran a finger along a deep crack in the crypt's door, a crack that lead to the face of a cherub angel. Things always seem to lead back to angels…. 

Suddenly a stick cracked to her left and all other thoughts flew from her mind. Her ears perked up and her eyes quickly assessed her surroundings, even though she had stood in this spot dozens of times before, fighting or preparing to fight. Nothing came flying at her and nothing tried to hide. There seemed to be no one there, but she wasn't convinced. _When there seems to be nothing wrong, usually all hell breaks loose…literally,_ she thought. She walked towards the origin of the sound and paused, almost sniffing the air. _If I put my mind to it, I probably could smell vampires. I can certainly sense them every other way._

Finding nothing unusual she took a step back towards the crypt she had been admiring. _A little jumpy these days, aren't we? It's probably a rabbit._ But she knew better. In Sunnydale, it was never, ever just a rabbit. 

She stepped onto the blacktop path that wound its way through the cemetery and continued on, patrolling as she had for over ten years. Things had changed since the first time she stepped foot in this cemetery, in this town. The important things had stayed the same, though, she decided. Xander and Anya were together, married, with children. Xander was the foreman for the construction company he had started out at as a laborer so many years ago. Anya still helped Giles run the Magic Box, the magic store he had taken over after the original owner had been killed in yet another Sunnydale tragedy. Giles was still officially Buffy's Watcher, despite the fact that she really no longer needed one. They still trained together almost daily, and he was still the greatest source of demon knowledge in the country. 

Luckily, Giles had convinced his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Olivia, that his lifestyle wasn't too dangerous for her and the two had been married several years back. At first Olivia had wanted to live in London, but Giles had refused, telling her his feelings for Buffy, the daughter he had never had. He had told her that he couldn't leave her, they needed each other. It had touched Olivia enough to agree to a California address. And she, in some small ways, took over the mother-role that Buffy had lost at such an early age. The two had become very close over the last six years. Olivia was by no means a replacement for Joyce, but she had a very understanding nature, and often helped guide Buffy in making her choices in life. Choices of the heart, not of the mind. Giles had that department covered as far as advice went. 

Losing Dawn had been the worst, almost as bad as losing her mother. Buffy still felt she failed, despite the fact that Dawn had willingly given up her own life to save Buffy, the Scoobies, and the rest of the world. Angel had been there, been there to help comfort Buffy as he had been just a few weeks earlier when she had lost her mother. But Dawn didn't die as peacefully as their mother had. A brain tumor would have been a blessing. Dawn bled to death on an altar as Glorificus had tried to bring Hell on Earth. Tara had given her life so that Dawn could live, but it was too late. Dawn had lost too much blood. 

Willow….Willow had barely survived Oz's departure, and the death of Tara had put in her such a state of shock that no one thought she would come out of it. It had taken months before her catatonia had broken, but when she "woke up" the change in her was amazing. She had been in a trance, one that she had put herself in to help with the healing. In this trance she had been able to communicate with Tara and to be assured that all would be okay. When she came back to her friends she had grieved and was prepared to move on. She would never forget and would never stop loving Tara, but she was at peace. 

In the end, Glory had been defeated by a spell the Watcher's Council had "suddenly come up with." A grand battle had still been needed, but a binding spell had kept Glory/Ben and the third hellgod, Doc, from performing any sort of majic or ritual. Buffy performed a spell over Dawn's lifeless body that trapped her energy, the Key's energy, in a crystal that she now wore around her neck. It was in the shape of the sun, of dawn, a symbol of her sister. She had vowed to never take it off and to guard it forever. Glory/Ben and Doc were easy to kill once their powers, and more to the point, their strength, was bound. Spike took care of them in two quick swoops of a sword, surprising everyone. 

And here they were…..Sunnydale, six years later. So little had changed, and yet so much had. Spike had left town after the death of Dawn, but returned a few years later. He had traveled and found a witch doctor who removed his chip and for awhile he had reverted to his old tricks, drinking from anything with a pulse. He was still a threat, but the Scoobies didn't have the heart to kill him. Not that they let him know that, Buffy smirked. He had been so devastated when Dawn died, he had blamed Angel for distracting Buffy, then blamed Buffy herself for being too caught up in her own problems. Since his return he had actually been helpful, though Buffy was still wary of him and his unrequited feelings. 

Riley had returned about a year after Dawn's death and he and Buffy had tried to work things out. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Angel had stayed in town for months after Dawn's death, helping the Slayer who had lost so much in such a short time. Their relationship had stayed platonic, but barely. Riley's return was ill timed. He had been watching Buffy for a few weeks before he made his presence known, and reentered her life as jealous of Angel as he had been when he left. Buffy sighed, and sat down on a park bench, remembering their last encounter. 

__

She and Angel had been patrolling the streets of Sunnydale when they were attacked by a group of vamps. They quickly went to work fighting them off, having easily fallen back into the flow of fighting side-by-side. It was one of many things they did well together, and Willow had once remarked that it was amazing to watch the teamwork the two possessed. Buffy was making quick work of one particular vampire when two more ambushed her. Angel came to her rescue and all three vamps were quickly dusted, but the event left her slightly shaken. 

"I thought I was back on my game…guess not," she said, brushing the vamp dust off her pants. 

"You're getting there. Those two came out of nowhere. You can't be expected to handle three on one." 

She smiled up at him ruefully, "I guess I'm just lucky you're still around." 

They held hands as they walked back onto the sidewalk, as they occasionally did. Buffy wasn't sure what it meant, but it was nice and she didn't push for it to stop. They reached the end of the street and rounded the corner, heading towards the Bronze when a figure came out of the shadows ahead of them. Angel instinctively moved in front of Buffy but stopped when he saw who it was. 

"Angel! Move!" Buffy exclaimed, pushing her way in front of him. "You've got to stop….." she trailed off as Riley's face came into her view. 

"So…taking a bite out of crime, you two?" Riley asked, sarcasm dripping. 

"Riley…you're back!" Buffy said, stunned. 

"Just got in, more or less. In enough time to see you two…together…with the hand-holding." 

Angel stepped up next to Buffy. "Riley…good to see you," he said, unable to keep the mocking tone out of his voice. He had never had patience for the boy standing in front of him. 

"Not in the mood, Angel. I just came to talk to Buffy." 

Buffy walked over to him and searched his face. "What are you doing here? I waited, all those months to hear from you. I tried to find you," pain filling her throat. 

He leaned into her, taking her cheek in his hand. "I couldn't get away. I tried, but the mission was too important. I had to see it through. Besides, you didn't seem to want me to stay, if I recall correctly." He looked up at Angel standing behind them. "Guess I know why." Angel wiggled his eyebrows at him. 

She sighed. "I tried to get to you. I ran, but the helicopter took off and you couldn't hear me. I tried. But I was too late." 

His face softened slightly, then returned to stony. "I'm sorry." 

She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. A moment passed, then another. "So what are you doing here now? Are you back?" 

"I can be. I just need you to say the word. But, it seems that you've taken up with Mr. Broody again, so I suppose you're not needing me." 

"Riley, I'm not with Angel. He's been here, these last few months, when you weren't, I might add, helping me." 

"What's the deal? Some big bad in town?" 

"No, nothing big, nothing bad." 

"'Cept me," Angel muttered under his breath, glaring at Riley. Buffy hushed him with a look. 

"Then why do you need him?" Riley asked impatiently. 

"I…my mom…Dawn…" Buffy couldn't get the words out before the tears spilled over. Riley put his arms around to comfort her and for a moment she melted into him. Suddenly she pushed back. "No! No! You don't get to be the one. You left. You weren't there." She turned and ran down the street. Angel threw a nasty glare at Riley before taking off after her. Riley swore and followed them up to Buffy's house. The Slayer ran inside and Angel followed. Riley sat on the steps, knowing that he was unwanted, waiting. 

Moments later Angel returned. "Nice job. Very nice. Six sentences into your first conversation with her in almost a year and you manage to make her cry. I can see why you're still single." 

"Whatever, dead-boy. I can see why Xander liked that nickname so much. Is she okay? What the hell happened while I was gone?" 

"What happened!?" Angel paced impatiently. "Her mother is dead. Dawn is dead. Tara is dead. You weren't here for any of it. You weren't here to see her almost go over the edge and then come back again. That's what happened." 

Riley stood there, stunned. "I had no idea. I had no idea." He sat on the porch step and Angel crouched a step above him. 

"You weren't here," Angel said into his ear. 

Riley looked up at him. "And you were, is that the point?" 

"No, it's not the _point, but it's _a_ point." _

"What happened? How did they all die?" 

Angel sighed and sat down. "Joyce died of a brain tumor, about a month after you left. Buffy tried to reach you but couldn't. Her own father couldn't be found. Thank God for Giles." He paused, then continued. "Dawn died by the hands of Glory. Buffy tried to save her but she had already lost too much blood. She died swearing to Buffy that this was what she wanted, to save the world, to save her sister, and to be with her mother." 

"And Tara?" 

"Tara tried to give her life for Dawn's. She did it without Buffy's knowing and of course Glory killed her after capturing Dawn." 

"Everyone else? They're okay?" 

"Yes." 

Riley stared at his shoes, taking it all in. "I should have been here." 

Angel said nothing. 

"I thought it was best, for me to leave." 

Angel said nothing. 

"Are you two….together?" 

Angel said nothing. He stared at the boy in front of him, still dressed in his military garb, then turned and walked to the front door of the house. "Riley, we've always been together," he said, and went into the house, leaving Riley on the porch, alone. 

The wind smacked at her face and Buffy broke out of her memories. It had happened such a long time ago. Despite their efforts, they hadn't been able to work it out. In their last big argument, weeks after Riley's return to Sunnydale and Angel's reluctant departure to LA, Riley had told her what happened on her front porch that night. Angel had said they'd always been together. _And yet,_ she thought, _here I am in a lonely, miserable cemetery, alone._ She jumped up off the park bench and began her walk home. Angel had left for LA again and nothing had happened between them since, though she was sure he still felt as strongly for her as he always had. She didn't know how she felt about him. Glancing at the sky she grimaced. _Where had these thoughts come from tonight? Better to leave that alone...no use in digging up the past._

Rounding the corner to her house, where she and Willow now lived together, the vamp attacked. He came upon her from behind and she barely had time to turn around before she was thrown back against a tree. Crumpling to the ground she reached inside her sweater pocket and retrieved a stake. She leapt to her feet and dove at her attacker, "Getting brave now, huh? Attacking me right in front of my house?" she taunted. She knocked the vamp to the ground. "Were you looking for me? Decided the cemetery wasn't public enough?" She straddled him and punched him first with her left fist, then her right, over and over. 

"Tell me! Why were you looking for me? Why were you stalking me?" 

The vamp grabbed her arms to prevent her fists from further pummeling him. "Angelus wants you," he said. 

Buffy stopped, stunned. "What?!" 

"Angelus…he ordered me to bring you to him." 

"Angel. You mean, Angel," she said, forgetting that the man underneath her was a vampire and therefore needed a good stake in the heart. 

"No, Angelus. He's back, and he wants you," the vampire said before throwing her off him and jumping to his feet. Buffy snapped back into Slayer-mode and performed a spin-kick that flattened the vamp. She tossed her stake down at his heart and watched as he disappeared. 

__

Angelus?


	2. What Dreams May Come

Buffy bolted upright in her bed

Buffy bolted upright in her bed. _Just a dream, just a dream,_ she thought. She reached over to her nightstand and looked at the clock. _9:30 in the morning…my alarm didn't go off._ She shrugged, trying to shake off the dream and reached for the glass at her bedside. Taking a drink of water she suddenly froze. 

Something's wrong, Buffy thought._ Something's wrong with Angel. The vampire in my dream said he changed. He couldn't…he knows the risks. He's okay. He has to be. Cordy would have called, Wesley, someone._

The Fang Gang was still together after all these years and they and the Scoobies kept each other informed of any little problem that might affect the others. 

Cordy's acting career had taken off for a while and she had been getting the attention she had always felt she deserved. But Cordy wasn't high-school Cordy anymore. She had grown up; become an actual caring, compassionate human being, much to Buffy's disbelief. After a bad experience on a set, along with the ending of a relationship with a co-star, Cordy had returned to the detective agency, which had long since reassumed the name of Angel Investigations, and was again under the order of said vampire. Cordelia had decided that acting wasn't for her. With all the attention she received, she never felt a connection with the people around her. So Angel Investigations lived on, Angel, Cordy, Wesley and Gunn with it. 

Wesley was married to a young woman named Chelsea, whom Buffy had only met a few times, but who had seemed nice enough. Cordy and Gunn had finally admitted to each other the feelings they had kept buried for so many years and were now married as well. Buffy liked Gunn immensely, especially after he saved Willow from a Gohra demon a few years back and, in the process, had both his arms broken. 

Only Angel remained alone. _And me._

Angel couldn't have changed. How could he have? Her next thought sent her reeling…_he had found perfect happiness with another._ That was the only explanation. 

The phone on her nightstand rang and she jumped four feet in the air. She leapt off the mattress and snatched it up. "Hello?" she said to a dial tone. 

"Stupid prank callers," she mumbled out loud, but something about the call struck a nerve. She returned the phone to the receiver and then picked it up again. Dialing quickly she muttered, "Come on, come on, answer." 

"Hello, Angel Investigations," a female voice answered on the other end. 

"Cordelia? It's Buffy. I was just wondering…is everything okay up there?" 

Cordelia paused, taking in Buffy's words. "Buffy! You have excellent timing…we were just getting ready to call you." 

Buffy ignored her. "Something's wrong. I feel it. It's Angel, isn't it? He's changed." 

In LA, Cordelia stared at Wesley and Gunn, surprised at the Slayer's words. "Wow…you're so close…that's amazing…hey! Are you getting visions now too

"No, Buffy said weakly. "No visions. Just dreams," she said, her voice trailing off as she leaned against a wall and slid to the floor. Slowly, she filled Cordelia in on her dream. 

There was a beat before Cordelia's voice came through on the other end, slowly, confused. "Buffy, Angel _hasn't_ changed. But I think he's going to. For now he's sleeping in his apartment, and you can trust me on this—no perfect happiness has been found." There was a small degree of comfort in Cordy's words but it was lost on Buffy in her state of shock. _What was going on?_

"Wh-what happened in your vision?" Buffy asked. Cordelia's visions had helped the Scoobies many times over the past years. The Powers That Be granted the LA gang the courtesy of alerting their Sunnydale friends of impending danger, but only if Angel or Cordy themselves were directly involved. 

"It just happened, maybe an hour ago…," Cordy began, "…my recovery time isn't so good anymore. Sometimes it takes days before I can see clearly again, before I can talk to anyone. This one was different. It came to me, more clearly than any other vision before, and longer. And no pain afterwards. Man, I hope this keeps up." 

Buffy sighed. "Cordy…." 

"I saw Angel, with his regular face, standing in front of you. You were talking, very emotionally, very seriously. Everyone was there. We were in Sunnydale, and Willow and Xander and Anya, Giles, even me and Wesley and Gunn. All standing around, watching you two talk. In a circle, maybe for a spell? In my vision, I kind of floated around you two, watching you from all sides. You were crying. Angel said something like, 'He's coming…I can't…' and suddenly his whole body doubled over and when he stood up again, his game face was on and you backed up, to get away." 

She paused, wearily, before continuing, as Buffy sat on the floor in shock, listening intently but hardly aware of herself or her surroundings. "_Angelus_ reached for you, tried to grab you, and you tried to back out of the circle we formed around you two, but you couldn't. None of us tried to stop you, but it was like some kind of force kept you inside. Angelus grabbed you and you tried to fight him, but he held your arms and leaned in to bite you." 

Buffy stared at the wall ahead of her, barely aware that Cordelia had stopped talking. Finally she moved the phone back up to her mouth. "What happened?" 

"I don't know. That's all I saw. I've even been channeling, chanting, trying to see if I can get any more out of it, but it's not working and I've got a huge cramp in my hand from shaking this stupid magical gourd Wesley gave me." 

"You've got to come to Sunnydale. We have to know what this means. I mean, if Angel is going to somehow become Angelus…at least we have some warning," Buffy said, trying to focus on the conversation. 

"Sure…we--me, Wesley and Gunn--kinda already decided that, but we haven't told Angel yet. We don't know what this means."

"You said…he hasn't…I mean, Angel hasn't been with…anyone…?" 

Cordy's voice turned warm, sympathetic. "No. Not that we know of. And I think we'd know if he had. Angelus isn't exactly subtle." 

Buffy paused, thinking. "I guess you need to tell him. Try and convince him to come here. If he won't listen to you, or refuses to come here, I'll try to talk to him. And I'll talk to Giles and Willow, see if they can help figure this out." 

"Okay. We'll go wake him up and someone will let you know when we've left." 

"You can stay here, at my house, if you want." 

Pause. "Sure, okay. Thanks." 

"It's just me and Willow here, now, you know." 

"Yeah..." Cordy said, softly. They all knew that the pain of losing both her mother and her sister so closely together, even though it was six years ago, still pierced Buffy through and through. 

Cordy cleared her throat. "Okay. Well, stay by the phone. I'll call you soon." 

"Okay. If I'm not here, try the Magic Box. I'll round everyone up for this." 

Buffy hung up the phone and sat against the wall, confused and scared, trying to make sense of the situation, of Cordelia's vision. _I can't face Angelus again. I can't kill him again. I can't lose him again._

****

*LA…shortly after the phone conversation* 

Cordy faced Wesley and Gunn. "Well, she's, needless to say, freaked. She agrees that we should bring Angel back to Sunnydale. Oh, joy! Reunion time! Why can't we ever all just get together for a Saturday afternoon BBQ? You know, without the sun part, but…without all the drama and evil too?" She relayed Buffy's dream to the two men standing before her. 

Wesley frowned. "I can only imagine. Facing Angelus has never been easy, but I'm sure it's worse for her." He sighed, resigning himself to the situation. "I guess we should go wake Angel." 

Gunn looked from Wesley to Cordelia then clapped his hands together. "I'll get the weapons, just in case." 

The three walked downstairs to Angel's apartment and Wesley stepped into his room, a stake behind his back. "Angel?" 

After a moment Angel stirred awake. "Wesley? What is it?" 

"We need to talk to you. Can you come out here for a moment? It's serious." 

Angel sat up, still sleepy and slightly confused. "Sure…give me a second." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed the pants crumpled on the floor next to him. He pulled them on, took a black dress shirt off a chair and shrugged into it. Buttoning it, it walked into the outer hallway where Cordelia and Gunn stood, both armed to the teeth. 

"What's going on?" Angel asked, bewildered, fingering through his mussed hair. 

"You tell us, Angel-boy," Cordelia said, with as much menace as she could muster. 

Angel shook his head, "I'm sorry? Did I miss something?" 

Wesley stepped forward. "Cordelia had a vision. We were all in it, back in Sunnydale. You and Buffy were talking, and you reverted to Angelus in front of us all, with what seems like no provocation." 

Angel stared at them. "When?" 

"When did I have the vision? About an hour and a half ago, but if you're asking when does Mr. Unpleasant arrive? I'm not sure," Cordelia said, her tone lighter, but at the same time she leveled the crossbow she held in front of her, aiming directly at Angel's heart. 

"Why are you just now waking me?" 

"We got a phone call before we could come down here," Gunn answered. 

"A phone call? Couldn't you have taken a message?" 

The three exchanged glances. "It was Buffy," Wesley said. 

Angel's expression changed, softened, then hardened from concern. "Buffy? Why? What's wrong?" 

"It seems that the Slayer still has her prophetic dreams. She dreamt that she was out patrolling and you sent a vampire after her, as a messenger. A messenger from Angelus, actually, to tell her that you, he, wanted to see her," Wesley explained. "She called us to find out if you had…changed. She's insisting that we all come to Sunnydale to figure this out. We tend to agree with her." 

Angel sat down on his couch, taking it all in. "But I haven't…you know…known perfect happiness. And I don't intend to! Maybe the vision is telling you that if I go to Sunnydale that Buffy and I will…" 

"Get groiny?" Cordelia supplied. 

Angel winced at her choice of words, "...be together." 

"I doubt it. You know you can't, bro. I mean, plus, we'll all be there making sure that things stay vertical between you and the mighty Buff," Gunn said. 

"Angel," Wesley started, "We have to go. Cordelia's vision this time was different. No pain. No suffering during or afterwards. In fact, she says that it was the clearest image she's ever had, she could see everything like it was really happening. Her visions are never wrong. If the Powers say you should be in Sunnydale, I think it's best to adhere to their wishes." 

Angel sat on the arm of the couch, thinking over what his employees were telling him. Finally he nodded, slowly. "You're right. We'll leave as soon as I run an errand. We'll take my car, the windows are already painted anyway, so we don't have to wait for night."

"What errand? Where are you going? You're not going anywhere alone, mister!" Cordelia cried. 

Angel looked at his three friends, the only real friends he had in his years in LA. "If I'm going to change, and it seems like I will according to both Cordelia's vision and Buffy's dream, then I need to know more. I'm going to the Club. If you're coming, we leave in five minutes." 

****

*Caritas* 

The four of them walked into the Caritas together, dreading what was coming up. Singing, for any of them, was painful without quite a bit of alcohol. Or what Gunn liked to refer to as "liquid courage." 

"Well…aren't we all just buckets of sunshine tonight," a voice from behind them said. The turned to find the Host, the owner and resident psychic power of the club. "I'd ask what brings you here but I'm sure I already know." His face suddenly turned serious, "Hmm…you kiddies better get up there and do-wop it up and I mean _pronto._ From the vibes I'm getting off you four, I don't want you in here too long. Bad for the karma. And I mean mine, not yours." 

Angel turned to their green-skinned companion. "All of us? We all four have to sing?" 

The Host smiled knowingly. "Trust me. It's as much to my regret as to yours, mis amigos. But I'm pulling some mighty strong waves off you four. Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" He sipped on a cocktail, then waved to someone standing across the room. "Manny! Love ya! Get yourself a drink and I'll be with you in just a second, okay babe?" 

Turning back to Angel and the rest he motioned towards the stage. "Well? Get up there! I'm dying to know what's in store for you, for a change. Just make it quick and as on-key as possible, okay?" 

Cordelia, whose face had gone ashen at the thought of signing, again, on the stage, turned to her friends. "This is a nightmare! Why do we all have to sing? My vision was about Angel!" 

The Host smiled at her and pat her on the cheek. "My lovely, but tone-deaf child. I don't know. I'm merely a vessel. Get up there, let me hear anything but Barbra, 'cause you'd murder anything she ever did, and we'll see what I can do." 

Gunn, not particularly loving the idea of singing, but having already resigned himself to doing it, was flipping through the song playbook. "Hey! They've got Barry White in here!" 

Cordelia rolled her eyes and grabbed the book out of his hands. "We're so not letting you pick." 

Two verses and a few choruses of "Walk Like an Egyptian" later, the Host sat down with them, looking shaken. "I don't know what you did, kid, but the Powers are coming through loud and clear," he said to Angel. "You've got to get out of here, out of LA and I mean like yesterday. Back to where it all began, but not for you, for her."

Angel stared at him. "For her?" he said, pointing to Cordy. "Where are you from?" 

The Host sighed impatiently. "Not for _her,_ her. For the Slayer. For _your Slayer_. You need to locomote in a bad way and get down there before it's too late for you." 

"What are you talking about?" Angel asked. "Too late for what? Cordelia's vision said that I change, but how? Why?" 

"That's for you to find out, but let me tell you. If you're strong enough, if you can reach through him, you'll have everything you've ever wanted. If you can't…you will truly have failed," the Host said, cryptically. 

"Strong enough for what? Reach through _him?_ Who's him? And what about us? Why did we have to sing just to hear about Angel?" Gunn asked. 

The Host tapped his glass with a long green finger. "So impatient, grasshopper! You all are a part of the Master Plan, capital M, capital P. What you will get from this experience, from this journey you're about to go on will make you better, will change you. All I can tell you is that you have to go alone…just the four of you, and meet with the six. Eight to form, two to fight." 

"What?! What kind of advice is this?" Cordy snapped. 

Wesley sat silent, thinking. Suddenly he smiled. "Thanks…we'd better be going now. Come on!" he said when Cordy began to protest. "We've got to get on the road. If Angel's going to turn, I'd really rather it wasn't when I'm in a car with him." 

They stood up and began to walk out. When they reached the car Angel jumped inside and threw off the black blanket he had wrapped around him for sun-protection. He turned to Wesley. "What did you get out of that? You were awfully quiet." 

"I don't know just yet. But the part about us going to Sunnydale, the ten…the four of us and…well, I can only come up with five in Sunnydale, but the circle is of the eight, like the one Cordelia saw in her vision. The two surrounded by the eight are you and Buffy, I'm sure of that." 

"Buffy, Willow, Giles, Xander, Anya…and?" Angel asked. 

"I'm not sure yet. That doesn't leave anyone, does it? I guess we'll find out when we get there." 

"Maybe it's Olivia?" Cordy asked. 

"Maybe," Wesley said, unconvinced. "And the part about 'back to the beginning...' you said you saw Buffy called to her duty as a Slayer, Angel. Maybe it refers to Buffy and when she was first called." 

Angel shook his head. "No, Buffy was called in LA. Right before her parents divorced. Joyce moved her to Sunnydale shortly after." 

Gunn popped up from the back seat. "But you actually met Buffy in Sunnydale, so maybe it's talking about you two...your relationship...but why?" 

"Maybe 'cause it will never be resolved?" Cordelia chimed in sarcastically. Gunn shot her a look that said, "Not Now," but Cordy ignored him. "What?! Oh, please. We all know it's not over between them. I mean, really, all that stands between them getting back together, besides a two-hour road trip, is Angel's lack of human-ness." 

Gunn rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant...if you'd shut your trap for a minute I could explain..." 

Wesley cut them off, "Everyone collect a bag for our trip. I don't know how long this will last. I'll have to tell Chelsea that she can't come. She won't much care for that, but I won't have her in danger. Besides, the Host said only the four of us are to go to Sunnydale." 

"We leave immediately. We can be in Sunnydale by dark, which I'd really prefer," Angel said, throwing the blanket into the backseat. 

"I keep trying to tell you, buy better blankets!" Cordelia commented from the back seat. "This one's all itchy! You need a nice cotton blend…" 

Bags were packed, good-byes were said. They were on the road for Sunnydale within an hour.


	3. You Can Never Go Home Again

Willow wasn't at home, Buffy discovered when she left her bedroom that morning

Willow wasn't at home, Buffy discovered when she left her bedroom that morning. She showered and dressed quickly, in her usual slay-ready clothing with its own hip flair. Within fifteen minutes she was at the Magic Box, the shop that Giles owned and that Anya still helped run. Upon entering the cozy store she noted a few customers milling around, but more importantly, that Xander was casually leaning against the checkout counter talking to his wife. Giles was upstairs, on the balcony level, putting some books away. 

Xander looked up at his approaching friend, "Buffy! Hey! Doughnut? We picked up some cream-filled goodies for your eating pleasure." 

Anya rolled her eyes. "_Xander_ was hungry. We were up late," she said, smiling knowingly. 

It was Xander's turn to roll his eyes. "An….again, as I've said so many countless, countless times over the years…not everyone needs to know when we have sex." 

Anya stared at him blankly. "You were up at 3 am feeding Erin, then I got up at 4:30 to do it again." 

Xander froze stupidly, then quickly changed the subject. "Oh. Yeah. So! Buffy! What brings you here so early on a Wednesday morning?" 

"Angelus." 

The eyes of her long-time friends flew open. "Excuse me?" Xander said, incredulously, cupping a hand behind one ear. "Did you say _Angelus?"_

His voice carried throughout the store and from upstairs the sounds of several books being dropped was heard. Giles quickly appeared at the stairs leading back to the main level. "I'm sorry…quite clumsy…Buffy, did you say Angelus?" 

She stared at him dead-on, "I did." 

Giles took the stairs two at a time and reached the counter in seconds. "Angel's turned

Buffy wearily sank into a chair. "Not yet, I don't think. I had a dream. I was patrolling, like usual, and thought I heard something in a cemetery. I couldn't find anything so I left," she said, omitting the parts about Angel and Riley and his departure. "On my way home I was attacked by a vamp." 

"Angel?" Xander asked gruffly. Over the years Xander had lost most of the aggravation he had once felt for the vampire-love of his best friend, but the mere mention of Angelus could still ruffle his feathers. 

"No, I didn't know him. He attacked and as I was about to stake him he said 'Angelus wants to see you,' or something like that. I asked him to repeat it and he did….he said _Angelus._" 

"Did you stake him?" Anya asked, brightly. Despite being human for more than eight years, and roaming the earth for centuries before that, Anya had never lost her directness. 

All three turned to stare at her. "Not the point, but, yes, I did," Buffy said finally. 

Giles cleared his throat, looking more relaxed now. "Buffy, that doesn't mean Angel has changed….not all your dreams are prophetic. I mean, the last one you even had was, what? Two years ago? The Cralha demons if I recall." 

Buffy turned to face her Watcher. "I probably would have agreed with you if I hadn't called Cordelia to check. She had a vision early this morning, and in it, Angel turned. Right in front of me. He was Angel and then he…wasn't. Just like that." 

"But it doesn't just happen like that!" Xander cried. "What about that perfect-happiness stuff?" Realization dawned. "Heeeey….has Angel been getting some action?" 

Buffy stared at her hands, willing herself not to think it. "Cordy says no, but I guess it's possible. I mean, to go so long without…" 

"Buffy, Angel knows the risks. He wouldn't intentionally put himself, or the rest of the world, in danger. What else happened in her vision?" Giles said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Buffy put her elbows on the table and rested her head between her hands, gazing, but not seeing, at the wood pattern on the tabletop. "She said we were all here, in Sunnydale, you guys were in a circle around me and Angel. He and I were talking and then he said, 'He's coming, I can't…' and that was it. He changed and reached for me. I backed up, but not out of the circle. He grabbed me and I froze. That's it. No more." 

The four friends sat in silence, taking in the Slayer's story. "Pardon me for focusing on the details here, but you said you didn't go out of the circle?" Giles asked, removing his glasses thoughtfully. 

Buffy nodded, not lifting her head. "Cordy said you didn't try to stop me from leaving, but…it was like I couldn't get out. She thinks we were performing a spell." 

Giles nodded. "It certainly sounds that way, but I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with this kind of magic if it is. Where's Willow?" 

Buffy lifted her head and Giles noticed her eyes were tired. "I don't know. She wasn't home when I woke up and I came straight here." 

Xander raised his hand, "Uh, guys…funny concept some of us have. She's at work. You know, her job?" 

"Xander's not at work 'cause he does construction. It's raining. So, no construction," Anya chimed in, helpfully. 

Buffy smiled despite her worry. "Oh, yeah. People with real jobs." 

"Hey! No talk like that. Teaching self-defense is a real job," Xander told Buffy. After college Buffy had decided that she wasn't cut out for a 9-5 job, and taught self-defense courses through Sunnydale University, toned down, of course, for people without Slayer-strength. The courses allowed her to keep up her house, along with Willow chipping in, and the hours were Slayer-friendly. The extra training didn't hurt, either. 

"I'll call her, see if she can join us soon," Giles said and went to find the phone. "Anya, perhaps you could help that customer over there toying with a Palminian amulet?" 

"Stupid witch-wannabes," she grumbled and went off to stop the hapless customer from causing any harm by improperly handling the merchandise. 

Xander and Buffy stayed where they were. "So…" Xander started. "What does this mean?" 

Buffy sighed. "I wish I knew," she said, turning to look into his brown eyes. "Cordy said she and Wesley and Gunn were going to tell Angel about the vision and my dream and try to talk him into coming here. She didn't have any better an idea of what this is all about than we do. I hope they convince him to come." 

Xander took her hand. "We're here. I'm sure they'll talk him into it. Angel knows better than anyone what Angelus can and will do. He doesn't want that to happen." 

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "It's just….the dream was so….it shook me. Bad. I woke up emotions I haven't thought about in a long time. I've been doing good, you know? Moving on with my life, getting over mom and Dawn, Tara…I've got a job, I've been dating…" 

Xander raised his eyebrows. "Dating? Since when?" 

"I date! There was Carter, and Seth…." 

"Seth was a year ago. And Carter was almost two years ago, Buff. Not exactly on the dating super-highway. Not even the dating outer-road." 

She sighed again, "I know…I know. But it's hard to find guys when I can't tell them my secret. It's always been hard. The only two in my entire Slayer-tenure that have known were Angel and Riley. And look how that ended." 

Xander looked at his friend. "And I think you know that if Angel was human, you'd still be with him. We all know that," he said softly. "But, he's not. Not for lack of trying, but, he's not. And Riley…well. I liked Riley. He was a great guy. I can't say I approved of him taking off, but I understood why he did it. Me, I would have fought harder for you." 

She smiled gently at him. "Thank you." 

"But, Buffy, Carter never found out. Seth didn't, Noel, Trevor…" 

"Ok, ok….before you go through the entire litany of failed Buffy relationships…I get the point." 

"Do you?" Xander said, keeping his voice low but sincere. "Look around you. Besides Giles, you made two friends the instant you came to Sunnydale. Me and Willow. The two who knew, and we stayed. Slowly the group grew to include Cordy, Angel, Riley, Anya….Tara…and they all knew. And they stayed, or left years later with their own reasons. The ones who didn't know, the ones you kept in the dark, they left, or you left them for one reason or another. Secrets aren't the answer." 

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "When did this become a heart-to-heart on my dating trends?" 

Xander chuckled. "I don't know. But, think about it," he said as Giles returned to the table. 

"I will," she said, softly and squeezed his hand once again, grateful for her friends for the umpteenth time in her life. Turning to Giles she said, "So…did she know anything?" 

Giles sat down. "She had a few ideas, some things she had read but never studied much on. She says the clinic is slow and they have some students working there today, so she's going to try and leave soon. Obviously, she's concerned for you, for all of us." 

Buffy nodded. "Good. Cordy said they'd call when they left LA." 

"Yes, actually, she called while I was on the other line with Willow. They left about an hour ago. They should be here this afternoon….Angel is fine, Buffy," he reassured the girl who he had long ago come to think of as his daughter. 

She smiled, sheepishly. "I know. I'll just feel better when we know what's going on here." 

"What do we do in the meantime?" Xander asked.

"Well," Giles said, taking a seat, "I suppose we go on with our lives until they arrive." 

"What lives?" Anya asked, coming up behind them. The customer she had been helping, as happened so frequently, had left the store quickly after Anya had offered her help. 

"I think he means that we stay here and research, as per usual," Xander answered his wife. 

"Yes, precisely. I've got some texts that Willow and I agreed might be the first place to look. Buffy, would you help me get them down?" Giles asked, rising from his chair. 

She nodded and followed him upstairs to the books that were off limits to customers but were more for Giles personal collection. When they reached the top Giles directed her to look for a few specific titles. 

"Buffy," he said, his voice low to prevent anyone from over-hearing, "I know this must be quite a shock. Are you all right?" 

Buffy picked up a book. "I'm fine," she answered. 

Giles looked at her sideways. "It's okay to be thrown. Angel has been fine for years, fighting his fights in Los Angeles. We had no warning that anything might cause him to change again. What's important is that we know it's going to happen and we can do what we can to prevent it." 

"Giles, it's going to happen. Cordy's visions are never wrong. They're never stoppable. You know that." 

Giles stopped his search through the dusty books. "I know. You're right," he said resolutely. "But you must try to stayed focused here. I know Angel means a lot to you…" 

"Why is that all people can talk about? 'Angel means a lot to you,' 'If Angel was human you two would still be together….' That's ancient history, Giles. Yes, Angel means a lot to me, and I don't want him to change, but I'm focused here. I'm worried about what he'll do when he changes, who he'll hurt. But I'm more worried about the why of it. Why now? What triggered it? And why are we all involved? That's what I'm thinking of," she said, lying to herself, but thinking she sounded pretty convincing. 

Giles looked surprised. "Yes, of course you are. I'm sorry if I doubted you, or crossed the line," he said, quickly returning to his search for the texts. 

Buffy stared at the book in her hand. After a moment she looked up, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I snapped. I don't know what's wrong with me lately. All these bad things happened years ago, and Angel and I happened even before that, but something woke up in me this morning. That dream…" 

Giles turned to her, his eyes full of sympathy. "Buffy, did you dream of anything else?" 

Her eyes remained glued to the floor. She shook her head. "No, that was it," she lied. 

Giles watched her carefully, a trace of doubt in his eyes, and then turned back to the stacks. "Well, I can tell you that a dream that powerful is bound to shake you up, and forgive me for saying so, but your feelings for Angel, platonic or not, are certainly reasonable. You're worried. Angelus turned when….well, years ago, when you were a girl, a high school student. And it was horrible, but you defeated him. And somehow he was returned to this world, from the chambers of Hell, with a mission to do good. And don't forget, Angelus has popped in now and again, but only for moments. Perhaps this is one of those moments." 

Buffy looked at him doubtfully but returned to book gathering. "I guess you're right." 

They collected the rest of the books in silence and returned to the table where Anya and Xander sat. Each grabbed a book and began turning pages, scanning quickly for anything that might mention the legendary vampire, Angel. After so many years, doing the exactly same thing, researching came easily to their group. Over time they had learned what to ignore and what to mention. It was a huge relief to Giles who was no longer bothered with nearly as many false leads or silly questions. 

An hour passed, then two. Customers came in, browsed and purchased and left again. In the middle of a slight rush, in which Giles, Anya and even Xander were required to help customers, Willow entered the store and made a beeline for Buffy. 

"Hi," she said, simply, setting down her bag. "What's going on?" 

Buffy indicated the books and notes scattered about. "Guess," she said. 

"Are you okay?" the redhead asked her best friend. 

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. Tired. Thanks for leaving work." 

"No problem. You know I'd rather be here. So…tell me what's going on? I got the basics from Giles, but I want the Buffy-version." 

Buffy rubbed her eyes. "Well…." she said, and recounted the story, once again omitting the parts about Riley and Angel. _I'll tell you later, Will, I promise. I need to talk to someone about this._

"Wow," Willow said when Buffy had finished. "Don't you just love living on a Hellmouth? Never a dull moment." 

Buffy smiled weakly at Willow's attempt to cheer her up. "Tell me about it." 

"So, what are we going to do? I mean, besides research." 

"Well, Angel and Cordy and the rest should be in from LA any minute now. They left hours ago. I guess we'll take it from there." 

"Speaking of…" Willow said as movement from the back of the store caught her eye. Buffy turned to see Angel standing in the doorway that led to her training room. 

"Hi," he said. 

"H-hi," Buffy answered. "You came. I wasn't sure you would." 

"Hey Angel," Willow said cheerily. "Why'd you come in through the back?" 

"Sun…too much of it out front. The sewer leads to the alley behind the store, so I took that." 

Willow nodded, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. It's been awhile since we've gone through this. Guess it stopped raining." 

"Where's everyone else?" Buffy asked, wondering why she was as uncomfortable as she was. 

"Parking the car. They…" he was cut off as the door to the shop swung open and Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn made their entrance. They headed to the back of the store, bypassing Giles and Anya at the counter, still busy with customers. 

"Hey Buffy, Willow," Cordy said as she approached the table. 

"Hey guys," Buffy replied. 

Hellos were said and Cordy, Wesley and Gunn all took seats at the table. Angel continued to linger at the back of the store. Xander joined the group and sat down. "So…what's the what?" he asked, directing his question to Wesley.

"Good question. We had some time to talk about it on the way down here, and I can see you've been researching. Willow, have you ever come across something like this?" Wesley asked. 

Willow shook her head. "Well, there isn't too much about Angel in Wicca-lore, sorry," she said, throwing the vampire an apologetic glance, "but I've scanned some spells that might give us some clues. Plus, I just got here, so I haven't really been in research-mode yet." 

Giles finished with his customer and returned to the research table. "Sorry…hello everyone. Any news?" 

Gunn shook his head, "Nope…we were hoping you guys would have this whole thing solved by the time we got here. Of course, we would have been here a bit faster if they'd let me drive." 

Cordy rolled her eyes. "We are _not_ getting into this again." 

"I can't help it if Wesley drives _like_ Ms. Daisy!" Gunn cried, throwing an amused glance at their audience. Nothing made him happier than razing his wife. And Cordy rose to the occasion every time. 

"At least _he_ gets us here alive!" she retorted. 

Buffy stood up. "Guys!" she said, raising her voice. Cordy and Gunn settled down. "I'm sorry we don't have time for pleasantries. What do you know?" 

Angel moved up next to her. "We don't know much," he said, taking in her still-familiar scent. 

"We came up with a few theories, but nothing concrete. I don't know what her vision is about, why I change. I haven't….done anything." His eyes shifted the ground uncomfortably. 

Buffy hugged her arms to her sides, avoiding his gaze, but knowing the second his eyes landed on her, seeking hers. "What theories?" she asked. 

Wesley cut in. "A few interesting ones, if I dare say. Before coming here we went to see the Host, Lorne. He told us that we had to return to Sunnydale, back to the beginning, your beginning, Buffy, specifically." 

Buffy looked up, confused. "My beginning? What does that mean? I didn't…begin here. I mean, I was born in LA." 

"Yes, we know, we thought of that, then I thought perhaps it referred to when you were first called, though Angel told us that that had happened in LA, too," Wesley continued. 

Buffy caught Angel's eyes, remembering the day he told her that he had seen her called. _You held your heart in front of you, for everyone to see… and I loved you._

"So, what beginning?" Willow asked, cutting into the memory that both Buffy and Angel were caught up in. 

"We're still not sure," Gunn said, putting his feet up on the table, then quickly removing them at Giles' glare. "I think it has something to do with you and Angel…you know, how you met here for the first time. How your…relationship began here." 

The room began to buzz with tension as Buffy and Angel shifted uncomfortably. "But that was unfairly shot down," Gunn added. 

"There's more," Wesley jumped back in. "The Host said that the four needed to join the six. Eight to form, two to fight. There are four of us," he said, indicating Cordelia, himself, Gunn and Angel. There are, so far, five of you. That's nine. The circle was probably made of eight people and the two, Angel and Buffy, are in the middle." 

"Great, so who's the mystery guest?" Xander inquired. 

"We don't know. Got any more friends?" Cordy asked. 

"Five…myself, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Anya….Olivia?" Giles though outloud. 

"Or Spike?" Buffy asked thoughtfully. 

"I thought of them, but it doesn't feel right. I didn't really see everyone in my vision, I…felt them, sensed their presence. I sensed everyone in this room, well, except for those customers playing with that statue over there," Cordy answered, frustrated that her vision couldn't provide more details. 

"Oh, dear," Giles said and shot a pointed look at Anya, who quickly got up once again to ask the customer not to handle the merchandise. 

"There was something….dark about this person…not Angel dark, but not….human? Maybe?" Cordelia continued. "I don't know, guys, I'm sorry. The thing is, this person is familiar. We know them." 

"Something's not right. Why would Cordelia be able to see all of us, or sense us at least, but not this person?" Angel asked, pacing the floor of the shop. 

"Well, that at least tells us one thing," Giles said. "Angel won't turn until we know who the sixth person is. The group won't be complete until we know, that gives us more time for research." 

"True," Wesley said, "I hadn't thought of that." 

Cordy sat in her chair, fingers pressed to her temples straining to see the vision in her mind. _The clearest vision I've ever had and I can't even see one of the most important details._ "There's Willow, me, Giles, Gunn, Anya, Wesley, Xander…and…Buffy and Angel in the middle…and a big black hole where the eighth person should be!!" she shouted, completely frustrated. 

Gunn rubbed her shoulders. "Cordy, come on. Stop for a while. You did this the entire way down here. If we're supposed to know early on, we'll find out." 

"How can you know that? What if we're wrong? What if we don't need the eight person for Angel to turn? What if Angel turns and the way to change him back this time _involves_ this spell? If we don't have enough people we can't do it!" she cried, slumping into the chair. 

The others shared a horrified look. "But, why would changing him back involve this spell? What about re-cursing him?" Buffy asked, her voice straining desperately. Angel caught her eyes and held them, questioning the emotion in them. 

"Yeah!" Willow said suddenly. "I brought the curse with me…I mean, it's in my lap-top, and I brought an Orb of Thessula just in case. All ready to re-curse," she said, her eyes huge and round. 

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "We don't know yet. One would think it would be that simple, but remember that Cordelia's vision involved Angel standing in front of us, then reverting into Angelus within an instant, with no provocation. He says he hasn't, well, known happiness, and I trust you on that, Angel." 

"…we wouldn't still be sitting here if he was really Angelus," Xander muttered and was shushed by a smack upside the head as Anya returned and stood behind him. 

Buffy glared at Xander. "So we're dealing with something else completely. Cordy," she said, turning to the brunette, "You said that Angel and I were talking, very emotionally, and then Angel said something about, 'He's coming…I can't…' Who's coming? What can't Angel do?" 

"I don't know!" Cordelia cried. "Look, I'm just the vision-girl. I don't understand them all the time, you know that. I realize that this vision is more important to us than all the rest, but you can't expect me to just go all Kenny Kingston on you guys and have all the answers!" 

Wesley stood up. "Ok, that's enough for now, all right? We're tired and tense. I suggest we rest up, eat something, and regroup later on." 

Everyone nodded, some reluctantly. Cordy and Gunn stood up. "Buffy, can I take her back to your place?" he asked. She nodded and through him her house key. "You guys know how to get there. Make yourselves comfortable. I want to hang around here for a while." Gunn nodded and walked Cordelia to the door. Xander and Anya followed them and the four walked out into the streets of Sunnydale, now glowing with the waning light of sunset. 

Giles, Buffy, Willow, Wesley, and now Angel, sat at the table. The Watcher and ex-Watcher sighed at the same time. "Always exciting to be back on the Hellmouth," Wesley said ruefully, eliciting a small smile from Willow. 

"I was just saying the same thing before you guys got here," she told him. 

"We can stop talking about this for right now, but I want to say one more thing," Angel said. "I think it's obvious that what I say to Buffy in the vision, the part about 'He's coming,' I'm sure I'm referring to Angelus. That I'm sensing I'm about to change, he's about to come through." 

Giles nodded, thoughtfully. "Well, it does make the most sense. I remember Wesley telling me once about a Shroud you went after that made you revert to Angelus under its power. Could you feel when Angelus was about to come forth?" 

Angel caught Buffy's eyes once again and nodded. "It's like having two personalities inside you, both fighting each other. For a moment one would win and I'd be me, Angel, and the next Angel would get pushed down and Angelus would come forth. It was exhausting." 

The group sat in silence for a while, thinking it over. Buffy stood up and walked to the front of the store, staring out of the windows into the almost dark Sunnydale streets. Her head was spinning. Moments later she turned back to her friends. "I don't mean to bail, but I need to get out of here for a while. I'm going to go for a walk. Clear my head," she said, pulling on her leather jacket. 

Angel watched her prepare to leave, noting her leather jacket and wondering if she still had his jacket that he had placed on her shoulders so many years before. 

"Do you want some company?" Willow asked. 

Buffy smiled at her but shook her head. "No, but thanks. Got some thoughts I need to get untangled." Willow nodded and settled back in her chair. 


	4. All Too Familiar

Buffy turned and walked out of the shop, welcoming the cool breeze of the evening

Buffy turned and walked out of the shop, welcoming the cool breeze of the evening. The shop had turned stuffy on her hours before and the heat that came over her just from being in Angel's presence was almost stifling. She walked down the street, always prepared for an attack, but pretty much lost in her own thoughts at the moment. 

__

I've got to get a hold of myself, she thought. _This is ridiculous. You haven't even seen Angel in over a year now. Your relationship has been over for a lot longer than that. One dream and you're back to being a cream puff wherever he's concerned,_ she chastised herself. What really bothered her was that these emotions had sprung up again overnight. The mention of Angel becoming Angelus had not only spun her head, but had brought on unrelated feelings…love, regret, desire, and worst of all, hope. Hope was the biggest enemy to their relationship. In recent years, while never forgetting what she had shared with Angel and had tried to find with Riley, she had really moved on. She hadn't found love again, but she had found brief companionship. _But none of it was ever real._

__

Yesterday, I was fine, she thought. _Today, I'm a lovesick disaster. I won't lie to myself, I've always been in love with Angel. I still daydream occasionally that he'll become human. But I haven't been a lovelorn puppy in years._

Years ago, after Willow had moved into Buffy's house, the girls had stayed up late one night watching movies and eating popcorn, along with drinking a few glasses of wine. Willow had gotten up the courage to ask Buffy the question she had always wanted to know but hadn't had the heart, or the nerve, to ask. 

"Buffy," a slightly red-cheeked Willow said, "Do you ever think you and Angel will get back together?" 

Buffy's hand, grasping too much popcorn, stopped midway to her mouth. But she wasn't offended. She wasn't uncomfortable. She was relieved. Finally, she could talk about it. "I don't know, Will," she said. "I hope so." 

Willow sat back on the couch, not figuring that this was the time for 20 questions, and let the Slayer talk.

"I have this dream sometimes," she said, her eyes drifting into some faraway memory, "that I'm standing on a pier, looking out at the ocean, the sun is so warm I can almost feel it in my dreams. And...I sense him. He's near. When I turn around, he's walking towards me, purposefully, and without any words he kisses me. And it's the most passionate kiss we ever shared. No explanations, no nothing. I don't know how he's able to be in the sun, I don't know where he's come from, I don't know where it goes from there. But I know that I wake up from that dream feeling very loved, and very sad…I hate waking up from that dream." 

Tears had sprung to Willow's eyes as she listened to her friend. "It ends the same every time?" 

Buffy nodded. "He kisses me, and then…that's it. I've had it once a year every year, for a very long time…maybe five or six years now." 

"Just once a year? Maybe that means something. I could look up dreams in some of my books," Willow offered. 

"Just once a year, that I can remember. Oddly, always right around Thanksgiving." 

Buffy poured Willow some more wine, then topped off her glass. "It's my dream, that Angel and I will be together. But I don't see how we can be. He's in LA, I'm here. He's a vampire, I'm human, not to mention the Slayer." 

"Which I think is in the plus column," Willow added. 

"But it just never works for us. We can't have a physical relationship, we can't even have a daytime relationship that doesn't involve heavy curtains and SPF 5000." 

"Do you really think that?" Willow asked, knowingly. 

Buffy looked at her best friend, who knew her perhaps better than Buffy knew herself, and smiled. "No, I've never truly believed that."

__

Maybe that's my problem, she realized, bringing herself back to the present._ I've never believed that Angel and I wouldn't end up together. And now he's going to become Angelus…I can't kill him again._ Killing Angel, so many years ago, was possibly the hardest thing she had ever done. The memory of that night assaulted her.

_

> The battle had been great. Spike had snuck out with an unconscious Drusilla and Xander had rescued a bloodied Giles from the mansion on Crawford Street. Only she and Angelus remained, fighting to the death to prevent him from, or, if he won, to allow him to open the gates to Hell. Swords were the weapons that night, and Angelus was getting the better of her. At the last minute she realized that in the end, as Whistler had told her, she only had herself. She took control of the fight and just as she was about to take his head, Angelus shuddered and let out a horrible shout. His eyes flashed a bright yellow-orange and he collapsed to his knees. She had paused her fight, still poised to take his head when he, as he would surely do, dropped the act and tried to overcome her. 

> But he didn't. Instead, he looked at her, really seeing her for the first time in months, since he had killed Jenny Calendar, tortured Giles, allowed Willow to be put in a coma, Xander's arm to be broken, and for Kendra to die. Since he had taken her innocence, shown her what love could be, and broken her heart. The look he gave her was one of pure love. 

> "Buffy?" he had gasped. "What's going on?" 

> She kept her sword at the ready, but hope began to creep into her heart. 

> He stood up. "Where are we? I don't remember…" 

> She lowered her sword. "Angel?" she whispered, disbelief clear in her voice. Willow had performed the spell to restore his soul...and it had worked. Angel was back. 

> "You're hurt," he said, eyeing a cut on her arm, before they came together in a hug that had felt so wonderful she had to shut her eyes against the rest of the world. When she opened them, she wished she hadn't. Standing behind him was Acathla, the demon Angelus had tried to awaken, and who would now suck the world into Hell if Angel didn't die to seal the portal. Any moment now, Acathla would open his mouth and the world would end. 

> "I feel like I haven't seen you in months…everything's so muddled," he said, still holding her. Acathla's mouth opened. She moved back from Angel and looked into his eyes. 

> "What's happening?" he asked, out of breath and confused. 

> "Shhhh…" She whispered. "Don't worry about it." They kissed, and even now, just with the memory of it, tears sprang to her eyes at the shear joy she had felt in that moment. 

> She pulled away and told him, "I love you," tears making her voice thick. 

> "I love you too," he said. 

> "Close your eyes," she whispered, nodding slightly, encouragingly, when he looked doubtful. She kissed him gently, tears swelling in her eyes. And then she drew back her sword and stabbed him through the chest. 

> He shouted in pain and extended an arm to her, imploring her to help him. Confusion and pain mixed in his eyes. "Buffy?" he asked…and then he and Acaltha were sucked into Hell. And with that, her world had ended.

_

She came out of her memories with the sad feeling she always had when remembering that night. Her only comfort was that the gods had been kind and released him from Hell so that he may do good on Earth. That night, as it turned out, had not been their last night together, for which she was eternally grateful. 

__

So I'm still in love with him, she thought, _even more so than I thought I was. So what? We're friends now. That's all we can ever be._ At that thought she laughed out loud, a brittle sound filled with remorse. "You're assuming he even thinks of you that way anymore, Summers." 

"What way?" came a voice from behind her. _So much for always feeling his presence,_ she thought before turning to face Angel. 

"Hi," she said, ignoring his question, but wondering how long he'd been standing there. 

"I know you said you wanted to walk alone, but can I bother you for a minute?" he asked, his brown eyes seeking her blue ones, pleading silently. 

She shrugged. "Sure." The pair turned and walked down the street in the direction Buffy had been headed. "What's up?" 

"Buffy…I don't know what's going on. You seem…distant," he said carefully. 

She looked at him in shock. "Angel, I haven't seen or heard from you in over a year. What did you expect? A welcoming party?" 

The vampire looked even more uncomfortable. "I've kept tabs on you. You haven't needed me for a while." 

__

You don't know how wrong you are, she thought, and could have smacked herself. Where in the hell were these thoughts coming from? _This stops now._

"Oh, well, if you've kept tabs on me, that's the same as a phone call or a visit," she shot back at him. 

"You haven't exactly been ringing my phone off the hook you know," he said bitterly, defensively. 

"Angel…" Buffy said, preparing to spar with him, but then stopped. She stopped walking and turned to him. "Let's stop this, okay? It's the same way every time we meet again. We're uncomfortable, we argue, we make up… lather, rinse, repeat. It's old." 

He stopped and turned around to look at her. Gently, he began to grin. "I wonder why that is." 

She returned his rueful grin. "I don't know." They continued to walk in silence for several blocks. 

"I've missed you." He had been thinking the words, had never intended to let them slip out, but there it was. 

She stiffened slightly, but forced herself to relax. "I've missed you too." 

"I want you to know, not that it matters anymore, but I need for you to know…I haven't been with anyone. Whatever the reason is for me changing, that's not it." 

She stopped and took his hand in hers. "And not that it matters, but I already know. Since you said it back at the shop I've never doubted it," she said, giving his hand a squeeze and dropping it.

"Thanks," he said. 

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked. 

He shook his head. "I don't know. This is a new one for me…" his words were cut off as a vampire flew over a park bench and tackled Buffy.

"Buffy!" Angel shouted as she was knocked to the ground. 

"Uff!" her breath came rushing out of her as she landed roughly, the vampire on top of her, struggling to bite. 

Angel rushed to her and pulled the vampire off, punching him across the face. "Angel!" Buffy shouted. "Two more!" Two more vamps, a male and female, were running at them. Buffy moved into action as Angel fought the first vampire. The female ran at Buffy and Buffy quickly bent over from the waste, flipping the vampire over and onto the ground. 

"Hello," Buffy said sweetly as she stood over her, "you should have stayed in tonight," and promptly dusted the stunned vamp. The male vampire looked from her to Angel, who had finished dusting the other, and ran. 

"Angel!" Buffy called and tossed him a stake. Angel picked it out of the air easily and threw it at the retreating vampire. The sound of a dusting came from the distance and they knew that fight was over. 

"You okay?" he asked. 

Buffy rubbed her shoulder. "Yeah, I think so…you?" 

He nodded, then sniffed the air. Looking her up and down he said, "Turn around." She looked at him quizzically but did as he asked. "Your jacket's ripped, you're cut," he said, fingering the shredded leather low on her shoulder. "You must have ripped it when that vamp tackled you." 

She removed the jacket and tried to inspect her back over her shoulder. "I can't see…is it bad? It doesn't hurt much." 

Angel gazed at the site of bare skin when she removed her jacket. Her sleeveless sweater had a large tear in it and was slightly stained with blood, but the cut itself didn't look too horrible. "I think your clothes took the worst of it, but you should still clean that out," he said, gently touching the skin around the wound. 

She hissed at his touch, "Watch it, that stung." 

"Sorry," he whispered huskily, and helped her put her jacket back on. "Come on. Your house or mine?" he asked. He had retained the mansion on Crawford Street for his trips back to Sunnydale, or so he told the rest of them. When he was honest with himself, which wasn't often, he knew that he had retained it because it held too many memories of the happiest times of his life. 

Buffy looked around her, gauging the distance between their present location and the two houses. "Yours is technically closer," she said, reluctantly, though her heart had started pounding in her chest the moment he had touched her. 

He nodded, somewhat relieved at her answer and somewhat dismayed. "Let's go. I told Giles I'd come back to the shop later on to pow-wow some more." 

They walked the few blocks to Angel's house and upon entering Buffy was hit with a wave of memories. 

"What?" Angel asked softly, seeing the look come over her face.

She smiled sadly, "Just remembering. I spent a lot of time here."

"I remember." They stood, rooted to the floor, watching each other warily before Angel finally moved away, "I'll get some bandages. Have a seat." 

The house was cold, but the power was still on, and Buffy remembered that the fireplace was electric. Finding the switch she lit a fire and sat on a slightly dusty couch. Angel returned and sat next to her. 

"Take off your jacket," he said, suddenly realizing how familiar this situation was. 

It was obvious that this was as familiar to Buffy as she turned to look at him, her eyes huge. 

"Deja-vu," she whispered and removed her jacket. 

"Yeah," he whispered, moving her jacket aside and exposing her torn shoulder. "But drier." 

She laughed softly despite her nerves, then flinched at the antiseptic he applied. "Guess it's worse than I thought." 

"Nah, really. It's not bad, not even deep. It's almost closed…." He trailed off, realizing what he was saying—the same words he had whispered to her the night they made love. He was so close to her, could hear the blood rushing through her veins, the breath coming more quickly from her lungs. She stiffened at his words, but relaxed at his touch as he gently cleaned her wound, his fingers smoothing the bandage over soft, tanned skin.

"All done," he said, and she quickly rose off the couch and walked across the room, rubbing her arms. She stopped in front of a window and gazed across the sky, watching the moon. 

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Far from it, actually," she admitted softly, without turning around. 

He approached her slowly. "Buffy…" 

She turned and looked at him, her eyes full of sorrow and a trace of fear. "We can't do this," she said, her voice weak. "For more reasons than just the obvious. You can't come here to stop Angelus from appearing, just to have us do the one thing we know for sure will bring him out." 

He nodded. "I agree," he said, sensibly. 

"But it's more than that, Angel, and you _know_ it. It's more than not seeing each other for over a year, not talking to each other. It's more than there being no way to have a real relationship. It's more than just the fact that I'm lonely…and," her voice broke, "that you look so good to me…" Tears spilled over her face. 

Lonely. It was a feeling he usually only associated with himself, as selfish as that may be. "Why are you lonely?" he asked. 

"Why?! I don't have anyone in my life, Angel. I have no family, no love. It never works for me. I have too many other factors that always have to come first." 

"You have your friends," he said. "You always felt that with your friends you could do anything. I've learned that, learned that from you. Without Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley, I wouldn't be who I am today. You showed me that friendship is a good thing." 

"And that's true, but my friends aren't a lover. My friends aren't romance and companionship. Every time I look for that it runs away because I can't help it grow. I always have to save the world, to stop the evil, and keep secrets." She paused, realizing what she said. "Oh my God. Xander was right," she whispered. 

"Right about what?" Angel asked, moving closer to her. 

"He said…that I needed to tell people, boyfriends, about me, about being the Slayer. He said that the people who know have stayed around in my life, except for Riley." 

"And me," Angel said softly. 

Buffy looked up at him with red eyes. "No, that's different, and you know it. _Riley_ was different. He knew, he supported my slaying. He helped me with it. He understood it and wasn't turned off by it. I mean…I didn't mean that he was turned _on_ by it, I meant…" 

Angel bristled and dismissed her words. "We both still left you."

She didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "It's different." 

"I know you've…dated. You didn't tell any of them." It was a statement, not a question. He already knew the answer, had, in fact, met a few of her ex-boyfriends. 

"No, I thought that if I didn't it would be easier on them. It hadn't worked out with you and Riley when you knew, but…" 

"It was different," he said. 

"Yeah, it was." 

"Buffy, you have a hard life. I'm not disputing that. I wasn't Riley's biggest fan, but the boy was decent to you, up until the end anyway. I'm sorry it didn't work with him, or the ones after him. But you can't base every possible future relationship on us, on Riley and me. You know the reasons behind my leaving. I couldn't offer you a life, no matter how much I cared for you." 

"Couldn't? Cared? As in, in the past?" she whispered, turning away from him so he wouldn't see her cry again. 

"Wh-what?" he sputtered. This wasn't what he had expected her to focus on. 

"You're speaking in the past. You _cared_ for me, not you _care_ for me. You _couldn't_ offer me a life, not you _can't_ offer me a life. You're talking as if since the moment you got here I'm the only one who's been on the emotional roller coaster. We find out that you're going to change again, and I'm supposed to just stay calm, when I'm the one who lives with the memory of having to kill you once before?" 

"Now wait a minute there, Buffy, that's not fair," Angel began, "you just said 'we can't do this.' Now you want affirmations that I still have feelings for you?" 

Buffy rolled her eyes and ignored him. "And you're giving me advice on _dating?_ You once told me I was your soul mate, but I guess that's not working out for you. You're over it now, is that it?"

He cursed. Crossing the room to her, he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Fine. You want to hear it all over again? Will it make you feel better to wrench my heart just a little more? Well, here it is. I can't offer you a life, no matter how much I may _care_ about you," he growled. "Present tense, _care._ It doesn't matter that I can't ever get you off my mind, no matter how hard I try. It doesn't matter that everything I do in the hopes that this time, this one demon, will be the kill I need to make to find redemption. That this human I save will be the key to my humanity. It's all in the hopes that I can finally be worthy of you, but you know what I've had the last seven years to figure out? I'm never going to be worthy of you. You're so far beyond me, I don't deserve you. That's why the Powers won't grant me my freedom. _I'm not worthy._ I have no choices here. What can I give you? I can't give you marriage, or children, even picnics in the park on a sunny afternoon. The only thing I can do is make sure that you're happy, and seeing as how every time we're together, this seems to be how it ends, with tears and good-byes, you can see why I choose to stay away." 

She stood there, his hands on her shoulders holding her in place, and stared at him in complete shock. His eyes, intense and emotional, didn't leave her face until she broke contact to slide to the floor. Sobs racked her body and he cursed again as he sat down and comforted the woman of his dreams. 

"Buffy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was out of line. Please, don't cry," he said, his hands rubbing her back, a finger lifting her chin up so he could see her face. 

"No…no, I'm sorry. Angel that was horrible of me. I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since that dream last night, God, it was only last night! I've been filled with all these feelings, these emotions that I haven't let out in so long." 

"It was a rough dream…bad memories for all of us," he said, trying to understand. 

She shook her head. "No, there's more. I haven't told anyone. Before the vamp attacked me I was walking through a cemetery, patrolling. I studied a crypt that had angels on it, and suddenly I was going through all these old memories, of us, of Riley…" 

He stroked her hair, ashamed that he was pleased she dreamt of him. "What memories?" he asked gently. 

She blew out a ragged breath, trying to calm herself down. "Of when my mom died, and Dawn, and how you were there for me, through the whole thing. And how you stayed. We would patrol, and it was like old times. Fighting together, as a team. And how one night we were fighting and you saved me from an ambush. We continued to walk after the fight and we held hands. We were doing that a lot again, and I was happy about it, it was comfy," she admitted. 

"I remember," he said. 

"That night was the night we came across Riley, when he first came back." 

"I remember that too," Angel said, thinking of how pissed off Riley had been to see Buffy there, holding hands with him, and how fun it had been to torment the farm boy. 

"I replayed that whole night in my head, I even saw the conversation you and Riley had on my front porch." 

Angel looked surprised. "Did Riley tell you about that?" 

"Sort of. But not in as many details as I saw and heard." 

Angel wondered if she had heard his final words to Riley that night. _We've always been together._

"I dreamed of how you stayed and how Riley stayed, but eventually you both left again, and then I was alone," she continued. "And then I got up off the park bench I was sitting on and walked home." 

"And that's when the vampire attacked you?" 

She nodded. "I don't know why I dreamed that first part. I wanted to believe that it didn't mean anything, that it wasn't an important part of the dream. I mean, I don't think about those things, my mom dying, Dawn, you leaving, Riley leaving. I don't dwell on them. But ever since I woke up this morning, I've been…overcome with these feelings. When I thought you had changed…I was…jealous," she admitted shamefully. "Jealous that you might have found happiness with someone else. I'm sorry." 

He grinned over the top of her head. "That's okay," he said, fighting to keep the joy out of his voice. "Riley and I didn't exactly become bosom buddies. And that Carter guy, what was that?" he teased. "I mean, the hair line alone should have been a big indicator." 

She giggled and then accidentally snorted, setting them both off laughing. When they calmed down they stood, momentarily collecting their thoughts. "I guess we should go," she said finally. 

"I guess so. But, later, tonight, assuming the end of the world isn't looming or anything, could we maybe talk some more…about this thing between us?" 

She nodded, slowly. "I'd like that." She put her jacket back on. "Thanks for stitching me up."

"Sure." 

"And I'm sorry that I became a basket case on you, but…thank you for being so understanding, and…for saying those wonderful things. Even if it can't be anything, it's still nice to know. Being loved is always nice." 

"I think you should tell Giles about the other part of your dream. You never know what it might mean," he said. She nodded and moved to walk past him when he touched her shoulder. She turned and looked at him expectantly. "Buffy…a real relationship? It will happen someday," he said. 

"I know," she answered him, and walked out of the mansion. _But do you mean with you, or with someone else?_


	5. Starting To Come Together

Angel and Buffy walked into the Magic Box at the same time as Gunn and Cordelia

Angel and Buffy walked into the Magic Box at the same time as Gunn and Cordelia. Giles and Wesley were in the back, Anya was closing out the register for the day. Xander and Willow were no where to be seen. 

"Buffy, ah, you're back," Giles said. 

"Anything new?" she asked, sitting down at the table. Angel sat across from her and Cordy and Gunn took up the remaining two chairs. 

Giles expression turned to a grimace. "Sadly, no. We're no closer to figuring out who this tenth person is than we were before." 

"Where are Willow and Xander?" Cordy asked. 

"Getting food, for all of us," Wesley said, catching Angel's eye.

"Good! I'm just in time for dinner," a voice came from the back of the shop. Spike wandered out from the training room. 

"Do you guys have some sort of sign posted that I didn't see? 'Vampire entrance—rear of the building?'" Gunn quipped. 

"Ha ha," Spike said. "Well, well. What's with the meeting of the minds? Another big evil afoot? Must be pretty scary if it drug you out of the Batcave, Angel." He strutted around the table. 

"Need something, Spike?" Angel asked. 

"Well, I'm hungry. But luckily, I've got good timing. Also, I've been eavesdropping, so I know that Red and Skippy the Wonder Pup will be returning pretty soon with a vintage O positive. Thought I might join you for dinner." 

Buffy stared at him. "Whatever," she said, dismissively. "So, really, we're no further than we were before. We don't know who the tenth person is, we don't know why Angel's going to change, and we don't know how to stop it." 

"Change into what?" Spike asked. Then his eyebrows flew up. "Angel's going to _turn_? Well, well. Isn't this delightful…got your panties in a bunch there Slayer?" 

Angel rose and grabbed Spike by the jacket, lifting him several feet in the air. "Shut up, Spike," he said sweetly, before setting him back down on the ground. 

"Hey!" Spike said defensively, smoothing the collar of his jacket, " No need to get all grouchy…I was just asking a question." 

"I had a vision of Angel turning," Cordy explained. 

"Do you sense that Spike might be the tenth person? You said the person didn't feel human. That would be Spike all over the place," Buffy said. 

Cordy shook her head. "I don't think so." 

"What's this all about?" Spike demanded. 

Buffy stood up. "You can explain it," she said to Cordelia. "I'm getting some coffee. Anyone want?" Everyone shook their heads and she walked behind the counter where Anya was finishing up with the books. 

"Good business today?" Buffy asked as she poured a cup of coffee. 

"Yes. Lots of people gave us their money," Anya answered her cheerily. 

"That's good," Buffy said, grinning in spite of herself. She added cream and sugar and began to stir the steaming mug. 

Anya glanced up at her. "I was thinking about Angel, and Angelus, and him turning and all that. Do you think the Powers could help us?"

Buffy stopped stirring. "I hadn't thought of that. Wesley said they went to see the Host and he told them that the Powers were sending out some really strong signals. Maybe they can tell us more if we go to see them." 

"I can help with that. Or Cordelia can get you in to see them. You're lucky you have two people with connections like we do. For normal people, it would be harder than getting tickets to a Britney Spears concert." 

"Thanks, Ahn," Buffy said, returning to the table. She relayed Anya's suggestion to them. "Do you think they'd see me, or see Angel?" 

Angel looked hopeful. "We could probably get in to see them, the problem is when we get there, they tend to not tell us everything we need to know." 

Spike snorted. "Higher beings…always big on the riddles and doublespeak." 

"When can we try? The sooner the better," Buffy said. 

Angel stood up, "Right now is good for me." 

Suddenly Cordelia flung herself forward, gasping. Gunn spoke up. "Or, we could just hope Cordelia has a vision...oh look!" He bent over next to her, supporting her as the vision became increasingly more powerful. Suddenly she sat up, a smile on her face. 

"I know who the other person is," she said. 

"Who?" Angel asked. 

She opened her mouth to speak when movement caught her eye. She turned to the front door that now stood open. "Hi, Oz." 

The others turned towards the door. "Hey," Oz answered, self-consciously. As they continued to stare, he turned and looked behind him. "I know it's a little shorter than the last time I was here, but I kinda thought it was working for me," he said, patting his hair. 

Cordy smiled more broadly and walked over to him. "Oz!" she proclaimed to the group. "Not quite human." 

Oz looked at her sideways. "Cordelia…completely as I remembered." 

They walked into the shop and stood next the table. "What are you doing here?" Buffy asked. "Not that it's not good to have you home!" she added quickly. 

He set his bag down onto the ground. "I honestly don't know. I've been living in Ireland for the past couple months. Working with this old wizard in Ballinrobe." Angel's ears perked up but he remained quiet. "Then yesterday, out of nowhere, he tells me that I have to leave, to come back here." 

"He told you to return here?" Giles asked, fascinated. 

Oz nodded. "He said, and let me see if I can get this right, _'Eight to form, two to fight. The visionary, the saint, the wolf will gather, joined by the witch, the tin-man, the weapon. The father, and the one who watches …the champion and the chosen. You must return to where it all began._'" 

The group stood, stunned, and stared at Oz. "You're doing that again," he said, and their eyes immediately left his face. 

"Well, that's a little clearer," Cordy said. "I'm the visionary." 

"Willow's the witch, Oz is the wolf," Buffy added. 

"I'm the weapon?" Gunn asked. "'Cause of the name, or 'cause I'm so good?" he grinned, leaning back in his chair, arms behind his head. 

"I'm the saint. That's obvious. Ex-patron saint of scorned women, you know. But Xander is…the tin-man?" Anya asked. "Why is Xander made of tin? Does that mean he'll wear armor?!" Her eyes took on a glazed over factor as she pictured her husband decked out in silver armor. 

"Tin-man, from the _Wizard of Oz?_" Giles said, thoughtfully. "What was it that the tin-man wanted from the Wizard?" 

"A heart," Buffy said. "That fits Xander to a tee. All heart." 

"I suppose I'm the one who watches, although I'd really prefer that we don't start calling it that," Wesley said. "But I haven't been a Watcher in years…" 

"You're our Watcher," Cordy said supportively, patting his arm. 

"Who's left? Who's the father?" Gunn asked, looking around. 

Buffy smiled and turned to Giles. "You are," she told him and wrapped one of her arms behind his back, hugging him. He smiled softly back at her and kissed the top of her head. 

Everyone exchanged happy glances with each other, glad that even in times of trouble they always had each other. Buffy broke away from Giles and walked to Angel. 

"You're the champion," she said. 

He nodded. "You're the chosen." Their eyes held each other. 

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed. "What about me? Why don't I get to have a crocked up nickname and be part of the ten?" 

"'Cause then there'd be eleven, and the vision only asked for ten…sorry, all sold out!" Cordy said sweetly, rolling her eyes. 

"Well…at least we know the tenth person, although now that you're here, Oz, Angel may turn at any moment." Everyone sat, staring at each other. 

Finally Angel spoke. "I should go," he said, pushing back from the table and standing, "We need to lock me up somewhere, somewhere where I can't get to you all, to anyone, and hurt them in case I…" 

"No, Angel. You're staying," Buffy said, moving to stand at his side. "I just realized something! I should have known it was Oz all along. In my dream, before the vamp attacked me, I saw a full moon and wondered about you, Oz. I wondered where you were now. And then I looked at a crypt that had angels on the door. You were in Ireland. Where Angel was born…" Buffy said, taking Angel's hand and squeezing it. 

"You didn't tell me about that part, Buffy. It might have helped us," Giles chastised gently. 

"I know, I'm sorry. Oz," she said, turning to her red-headed friend. "Can you still control the wolf?" she asked. 

He nodded. "Better than ever, actually. I haven't been around Willow in a while, so who knows, but I should be fine. I was here, what, two years ago? No problems." 

"I saw a full moon in my dream, which is what triggered me to think of you. The full moon isn't for another few days. We have some time," she told them. 

Cordy nodded. "You're right. In my vision it's a full moon. I didn't even think about that, I just figured it was supposed to mean this all takes place at night." 

Wesley clapped his hands together. "Good. That buys us some more time. The full moon is in two days, actually, so we'll see what we can come up with in that time." 

"And if we don't find anything, then I'll tie you up," Buffy said to Angel, who raised his eyebrows at her, a smile playing on his lips. "I mean…I" she sputtered. "Never mind." Gunn grinned at her. 

The door opened again. "We got your cheeseburgers, your double cheeseburgers, your deli sandwiches, your tuna-fish on rye, your…Oz!" Xander exclaimed, carrying in a box of food. 

"I'll take one of me on toast," Oz replied in greeting. 

Willow appeared behind Xander, her arms equally laden. "Oz!" she said, her voice filled with wonder and happiness. 

Oz moved forward and took the box of food from her. "Hey there," he said, giving her a one-armed hug. "How ya doing, kid?" 

"What are you doing here? How was Ireland?" 

"You knew he was in Ireland?" Buffy asked, incredulously. 

Willow nodded. "I got a postcard a little while back. Didn't I tell you? Ooh! Ooh! Ten! Oz is ten!" she exclaimed, hopping up and down, pointing to the werewolf. 

"Look, I know I'm short, but the insults are a little lacking here. I mean, first I'm not quite human, now I'm ten…" Oz looked around the room cryptically. "You guys so need to fill me in here." 

"In a minute," Angel said. "Cordelia, what happened in your vision? Was it painful again?" 

She shook her head. "Oh! Right! My vision…Nuh-uh, no pain. Not at all. I saw us, in the circle again, you had already changed, Angel, and you and Buffy were arguing. You tried to attack her. She couldn't fight you. She… _wouldn't,_" Cordelia corrected, confused. 

"Buffy wouldn't fight back?" Xander asked. "But Buffy always fights back. That's what she does. Hence the cool title." 

"Why couldn't she fight?" Gunn asked. 

Buffy looked at her wide-eyed. "I wouldn't just let him kill me." 

Cordelia shut her eyes, remembering. "Angelus is coming after you, chasing you. The rest of us are standing there, watching, not trying to help." 

"No way would we leave her," Xander said angrily. 

"I don't think we can help her," Cordy told him. "The spell, the circle, it can't be broken until it's all over." 

__

"What's all over?" Angel asked. 

Cordy cocked her head to the side, her eyes focusing on something far away in her memory. "Until there's a winner," Cordy she said, simply, her voice very small. 

They sat at the table, taking in this new information. "So, Buffy and Angel are going to fight, or not fight as it may seem, in the WWF ring made up of their friends and family? And I mean, 'made up of' literally?" Gunn asked. 

"The only problem is that there's no big gold belt for the winner," Xander said, "and thankfully, no Speedos," he added. 

Angel's hand slid across the table to where Buffy had sank into a chair. His fingers sought hers and when they locked he squeezed her hand gently, his eyes seeking hers for some feedback. 

She smiled, a false smile that said she was trying to be brave. "Well. Nothing makes me hungrier than scheduling a to-the-death duel," she said, though eating was the last thing she wanted to do. Running away. Running away sounded good. 

The others looked at her, none of them entirely comprehending the seriousness of Cordelia's vision, refusing to believe that one of their friends may soon be killed by the other. 

Oz broke the uncomfortable silence. "Sorry, really, I don't mean to be all Mr. Hey Fill Me In guy, but…hey, fill me in." 

Though no one was really hungry anymore, food was distributed while the story was rehashed. "So, to make a long story short, Angel is going to turn and apparently the nine of us have all been called together to witness it," Cordy told him, picking at some potato chips. 

"And since Buffy's dream and your vision both have a full moon in them we can assume this doesn't happen for two more days," he concluded. 

"Looks that way." 

"Wow. You guys really know how to welcome a guy home," Oz said, looking around at the friends he hadn't seen in almost two years. "Next time we all get together, I vote for the Hawaiian cruise." 

"Good old Sunnydale! Lots of death and drama, no waiting," Cordelia muttered. 

"So, what's the plan to stop it?" Oz asked. 

"That's the fun part," Buffy said, playing with her cheeseburger. "We don't know. All the visions and the dreams have done so far are to show us who needs to be here and what will take place in two nights. We don't know why or how to stop it." 

Spike was digging through a box. "Hey! Where's the blood?" 

Angel, sipping on a mug, quickly moved the second bag of blood Willow had brought him and slipped it underneath the table, out of Spikes' sight. Buffy grinned despite herself, catching the movement out of the corner of her eye. 

"Get your own. Only active contributors get to eat," Xander shouted to him.

Spike looked up. "So, that's how it is. I'm not part of your bloody group of ten and suddenly I don't count?" 

"Spike, you've never counted," Xander answered him. 

"Oh, fine. That's how it is now. I've saved your mangy hide dozens of times." 

"And you've tried to kill me more, so let's just drop it." 

Spike started to argue, realized it was true, and sat down. "Bloody wanker," he muttered getting up quickly, and left the shop in search of his own food. 

"Food is good," Buffy mumbled to herself. Angel heard her and looked up suddenly. "What?" she asked. 

He continued to stare. "Nothing," he said finally, returning to his mug. 

She watched him carefully. Food is good….the feeling of déjà vu she had when at the mansion returned. Peanut butter. Ice cream…she shook her head, clearing the thoughts. _You're hungrier than you thought,_ she told herself, grabbing a bag of chips. 

Angel watched her from behind his lashes. 


	6. Run To You

"So, should we still contact the Powers

"So, should we still contact the Powers?" Willow asked, chomping a bite of chicken-salad. 

"I guess we can try," Cordy said, "but Angel's right. They aren't usually real forthcoming with the info. I usually end up more confused. Plus, it's really bright in there. Bring sunglasses, I mean it," she said to Buffy. 

"We can at least try. I mean, they've made such a grand effort to get us all here. Angel and I can try to see them together," Buffy decided. 

Giles and Wesley were nodding in agreement. "Yes," Giles said, sipping a mug of tea. "It's worth a shot. Obviously they've had a hand in this matter." He stood up, "Buffy, could I talk to you a moment, in private?" 

She nodded and stood up. They walked to the training room. Before he could say anything to her she jumped into conversation. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Oz in the dream, but I didn't tell you a little more either. A lot more, actually." 

"More?" her Watcher asked. "What else did you dream?" 

She told him, again, about the tomb, then about her memories of Riley and Angel, and how she had thought of all of her friends, Giles included, in her dream. Anyone who had ever been important in her life. "And now, we're all here. To fight Angelus again," she concluded. 

"Buffy, I didn't bring you back here to chastise you. I appreciate you telling me this information, I'm sure it will be helpful. And I understand why you didn't mention it earlier, though I think that each detail should be considered important on its own," he looked at her meaningfully and she nodded. "I only asked to speak with you in private because I want you to know that I sent Olivia away. I'm sure we'll stop Angelus before any harm can be done, but I couldn't take that chance with her. Not after…" 

"Jenny," she whispered. He nodded. "I won't let him hurt anyone, Giles," she vowed. 

Giles sighed. "I know. Olivia wanted me to tell you that she knows how strong you are, and that you can get through this. She wanted to stay and help, but I forced her to leave, to return to London until it's safe to return." 

"I understand. That's the smart thing to do," she said. "We'll stop this, Giles. We have to. If I have to kill him…it will be for the last time. I don't think he'll get a third chance on earth. But the vision…it says I don't fight back." 

He looked at her, knowing how much this much pained her to talk about. Suddenly he hugged her. "I'm so sorry for this, Buffy." 

She was surprised at this show of emotion from the usually stoic Giles. "I know. It's okay. I've done it before," she told him weakly. 

They broke apart and she smiled at him. "It'll be good, no worries," she reassured him, and they walked back into the shop together. 

"Everything groovy?" Willow asked quietly as Buffy sat back down. Buffy nodded and gave her a small smile. 

Angel's eyes sought hers and she gave him a slight nod, letting him know all was well between she and the Watcher. Angel nodded back. 

"I had forgotten you were born in Ireland, Angel. What part?" Oz asked. 

Angel looked uncomfortable. "Galway," he answered. 

Oz look surprised. "Really? Ballinrobe is right outside Galway." 

Angel nodded. 

"The wizard, he's from a long line of them. His family's been practicing there for centuries." 

"Orin?" Angel asked. 

Oz looked more surprised. "Yeah, how did you know?" 

"Orin's family hasn't been practicing there for centuries. _Orin_ has. He's older than I am, very powerful. He was a legend in my village, a man to be reckoned with," he told them, a bit of Irish brogue coming out as he spoke. 

"Neat," Oz said, simply, in typical Oz fashion. 

"You know this wizard?" Buffy asked. 

"I know of him," Angel answered. 

"He lives outside your village?" Buffy continued to ask questions, fascinated by Angel's former life, which she knew little about. 

He nodded. 

"Have you ever been back?" 

He sighed, "No." 

"Would you ever go back?" 

Angel pushed away from the table and stood up. "What does it matter? There's nothing there for me now," he said bitterly, walking to the front of the store. 

Buffy followed him. "Angel…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." 

"You didn't," he said after a moment. 

She stood there, not knowing what to say. Finally he broke the silence, "Buffy, do you not realize the severity of all this? In two days time we're going to fight, to the death. One of us will kill the other." 

She watched him, watched the angst in his facial expression. "I know," she said. 

"How can you be so calm? How can you sit there and ask me questions about my past and eat your cheeseburger and pretend like this isn't happening?" he barked. 

"Because it isn't happening. Not yet. I can't absorb all this right now. I'm choosing to believe we'll find a way to stop this. I can't kill you again, Angel!" 

"And I can't kill you a first time," he said, his voice cold. 

"It won't be you who's trying," she whispered. "That's part of what makes this a little easier. I know that nothing that's going to happen is going to be your fault." 

"It's still my body…Angelus is still me, but without a conscious. You'd be the same way without a soul." 

"That may be." 

He turned to her, his eyes intense and dark. "We have to find a way to stop this," he said. 

She nodded. "We will…but not tonight. We're tired. It's been a long day and we have nothing to go on. Wanna get out of here?" 

He looked back at the others. Cordelia was leaning on Gunn, snoozing. Willow and Oz were talking, but they each looked tired. Wesley was rubbing his eyes from exhaustion. "I think we're spent for the evening." 

She walked back to the table. "We're not going to get anything done here tonight. I vote we go home and sleep. Meet back here tomorrow and cram." 

Cordy woke and raised her hand. "I second that," she said sleepily without lifting her head off the table. 

"Tomorrow, first thing, I'll try to meet with the Powers," Buffy said. The others nodded and began packing up to go home. 

"Cordy, you and Gunn can have Dawn's old room, if that's okay. Oz, do you have a place to stay?" 

Oz looked from Buffy to Willow. "He's going to stay at the house with us. We want to catch up," Will answered. 

Buffy nodded. "Okay. Wesley…" 

"Rupert has offered me his spare bedroom, but thank you, Buffy," Wesley said. 

"Great. Sleeping arrangements settled, I'm heading out," she said, and gathered her things. Angel followed her. The rest of the group exchanged glances, wondering what was going on between them. 

"So, anyone else think they'll get back together?" Anya asked, just loud enough for her voice to carry to the front of the store. Buffy's hand froze on the doorknob. She turned and looked at Angel. 

"We've always been together," she said, echoing Angel's words of so many years ago. 

Angel stared at her as she walked out of the door. _So she does know,_ he thought, and followed her out into the streets. 

***** 

They began walking, taking the longest route possible back to Buffy's house, which involved passing by the mansion again. 

They walked in silence, thinking over the events of the day. "What are we going to do?" she asked him after several minutes. 

"I don't know. I guess we'll see what the Powers can tell us tomorrow, if anything." 

"I'm really sorry if I upset you, asking about Ireland." 

"You didn't, really. I'm sorry I accused you of not being upset. I'm trying to see how many times we can argue in a single day," he joked. 

"It's okay…I just can't think about it. I can't think about killing you again. The first time was hard enough." 

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing that the words in no way made up for the pain he had caused her. 

"It's not your fault. You didn't know what would change you. I don't hold you responsible for anything Angelus did. He's not you." 

"You have to remember that, Buffy. You may have to kill me to save yourself, to save your friends." 

"He's not you, but you're the vessel he lives in. I can't kill you knowing that there's a way to restore you, that he's only occupying your body!" 

"You may not have a choice. Promise me," he said, venomously, "promise me you won't give up if we have to fight. That you'll protect yourself." 

She looked at him through eyes clouded with anger. "Promise _me_ you won't give up trying to prevent this from even happening," she spit back at him. 

They stared at each other in a standoff. Moments passed. Finally, a smiled played on Angel's lips. "We really are a mess, aren't we?" he said, shaking his head. 

She tried to fight it but a grin broke out across her pretty face. "Hopeless," she said, when a scream broke the calm of the evening. The looked at each other and took off running in the direction of the sound. Flying around the corner of an alley Buffy suddenly came to a halt, causing Angel to almost collide with her. In front of them was a clan of five or six vampires and three teenage girls. The girls were surrounded, backed up against a fence, terrorized. 

"Oh boy," Buffy muttered. She did a quick count. Six vampires. "Wanna go dutch?" she asked Angel. 

"You know I fully support women's lib," he deadpanned and the two broke into action. 

Buffy ran up to the leader of the clan and with a flying kick knocked him flat on the ground. "So, new in town?" she asked, grabbing him by the hair and bashing his head back against the concrete street. The vampire grabbed her arms and threw her backwards, then leapt to his feet. 

"They told me a Slayer lived here," he said. 

"Huh. It's a shame you won't get to tell them they were right," she said and flipped him over as rushed at her. Grabbing a stake from her jacket she quickly dusted him and took off after his lackeys. "Run!" she shouted to the girls. But the girls just smiled at her. 

"Nah," one said, her face morphing, "We think we'll stay." 

Buffy froze. "Angel!" she screamed. "It's a trap!" 

Angel looked up. He face would have paled if it could. He quickly finished off the vamp he had been fighting and attacked two more as Buffy took on the three girls. The alley was littered with trash and Buffy used this to her advantage as one of the girls barreled straight for her. She quickly jumped up onto a trashcan and then back off as the girl ran by her. Before the vamp had a chance to turn around Buffy staked her through her back. 

The other two circled her, taunting her. "Think Angelus will cozy up to me when he's brought forth?" one of them asked her, grinning evilly. Buffy's eyes flew open wide. 

"What do you know about Angel?" Buffy screamed at them. 

"Enough to almost make me want you to live," she answered. "From what I hear, Angelus is…_creative_ when he kills." Simultaneously the girls charged her, one coming from each side. Buffy scanned the area. Thinking quickly she jumped straight up in the air and kicked out with both legs, knocking one of the girls to the ground and the other backwards into a broken chair leg. 

Two down, one to go, not to mention the brutes left that were watching, amused, as two of them started to get the better of Angel. Two of the vamps were holding him as one punched him in the stomach. And the fourth, who had been standing off to the side, was now wielding a giant axe. Leaving the girl for a moment, Buffy ran to Angel's aid. 

Before she could do anything Angel jumped up and kicked his assailant backwards. He shook free of the other two. "Run!" he shouted to Buffy, grabbing her arm and helping her back out of the alley. 

"We'll be here when it's time, Angelus!" one of the vamps shouted at them as they booked out of the alley. 

Angel was leading and Buffy followed him closely, running as fast as she could. She realized they were headed to the mansion but didn't argue with him, though her heart beat faster as she thought of being there for a second time today, alone again. 

Angel flung the door open and locked it quickly behind her as she ran inside. He peered out the window, checking to be sure no one had followed them. Satisfied, he turned to her. "Are you okay?" 

"I should ask you the same thing," she said, walking over to the couch. Angel flipped on a few lights and lit the fire. 

"That was a set up," he said, angrily. "There were more of them inside that building." 

She nodded her head. "They were waiting for you. They called you Angelus. One of the girls said something about 'when Angelus comes forth.' She wanted to watch him kill me." Buffy shuddered. 

Angel looked stricken. "I won't let that happen." 

Buffy stared at him. "It's looking more and more like that's what's going to happen, Angel." She sat on the couch, her eyes downcast, knotting her hands. 

"It's not. It won't. We'll find a way," he said angrily. 

"First, my dream. Then Cordy's vision. Then Oz and that wizard, now this. Vamps are waiting for him. It's not looking good," Buffy said softly, her eyes focusing on something far away in her head. 

He lost his cool. "Damn it!" Angel shouted, knocking a vase to the ground. The sound of it shattering reverberated around the room. He moved swiftly to the couch and sat beside her, turning her towards him. Placing his hands on her face he forced her to look into his eyes. "You asked me to promise that I wouldn't stop looking for a way out of this. You can't give up now," he said. His eyes searched, hers stared blankly back at him. 

After a moment Buffy broke contact and turned back to the fire. "You wanted to talk tonight. What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, changing the subject. 

Angel watched her for a moment, stared at the girl who, he knew, was at this moment contemplating her own death. He cleared his throat, not prepared for the change of subject. "I just wanted you to know, you're not alone. I know you don't have anyone in your life…but you're not alone. You're always loved," he said sincerely. 

She nodded, her eyes not moving from the fire. "I know." 

"I hope so." 

She remained silent. "Buffy?" he asked. 

"You're not alone either," she admitted. The light of the fireplace reflected on her face and he saw that tears were threatening to spill over her eyes. 

"I'm glad," he said, smiling. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips. The shock of his lips on her skin brought her out of her trance and her eyes slowly moved to him. He dropped her hand. Her fingers traced the spot on her hand where his lips had touched. 

"I want to tell you something, I want you to know. Before the full moon. In case…in case you have to kill me." 

Her gaze returned to the fireplace, her eyes fixated on the flames. "What?" she whispered. 

"Everything I said earlier, about caring for you, thinking about you, was true." 

She smiled faintly. "I know." 

"I'm sorry I can't give you a life." 

She said nothing, just concentrated on the fire. After several moments her heart took over and she said, "I'm sorry I can't stop loving you." 

He sucked in his breath, the weight of her words hitting him full force. 

"Do you?" 

Her eyes never left the fire; she stared, blankly, not seeing the flames. She knew if she looked at him she'd never get the words out. "You know I do," she said, sadness ripping through her. "You're the reason my relationships all fail. You're the reason I'm not happy with anyone else. Every man I see is instantly compared to you and they never size up. You're the last thing I think of before going to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake. You're the reason I'll never give up hope. And you're the reason I can't ever kill Angelus." Her voice broke then and tears began to fall down her face. "I don't want to die, Angel…but I can't kill you." She jumped up off the couch and stumbled for the door. 

He didn't think, he just acted. Leaping from his seat he ran to her and grabbed her arm. Spinning her around he kissed her, taking her breath away. A hand sought her cheek and a finger lifted her chin to find him better. They melted together, feeling as if rockets were exploding in their bodies. Hands reached for and found, lips gave and received. He tasted her tears and the sweetness of them made him want to cry himself. The taste of each other had never left their memories. Her hands delved into his hair, pulling him closer to her. He responded by clutching her back, dragging a leg up so it wrapped around him. 

Buffy broke away, breathless. "Angel…" she whispered, pain and love in her voice. He picked her up, one arm supporting her legs, the other holding her back. His lips sought hers once again as he held her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart slamming in her chest. He felt each beat, felt its rhythm speed up as their kiss deepened, and he rejoiced in the feel of her in his arms once again. _Too many years have gone by_, he thought, wildly. 

He walked her into his bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. She looked alarmed. "Angel, we can't." 

He placed a finger to her lips. "Shhh…I know. Just stay with me tonight. If we can't have anything else, we have two days until the moon." 

She stared at him, her eyes sad and full of heat at the same time from having all she wanted in front of her and not being able to indulge. _Two days…in two days time I'm going to lose the love of my life, again. We never get a break, not in ten years have we ever gotten a break,_ she thought, weighing her options. Passion won. _But he's here now,_ she decided. The decision made, she nodded to him, held out her hand. 

He couldn't get to her quickly enough. He sat down on the bed next to her and resumed his assault on her lips and on her senses. They lay back together, hands touching, exploring territory not known to each other in far too long. He stroked her hair, ran a hand up her back, sent shivers up and down her spine. She sat up, slowly, and removed the sweater she was wearing. "I didn't bring anything to sleep in…" she whispered coyly. 

He groaned. "That's not playing fair," he said, and laid her out flat on her back, his body landing gently on top of hers. She tugged at his shirt, and he propped himself up enough that she could undo the buttons. Her hands splayed his chest, feeling the tautness of his muscles, remembering how he had felt that night. They lay together, skin against skin, each knowing they could go no further, but taking all of what they could have. 

The kisses and touching lasted long into the night. Neither seemed to ever be satisfied. Slowly, in the wee hours of the night, they were content just to hold each other, tangled in the sheets. 

"This is nice," Buffy said, her voice muffled against the side of his chest as she lay curled in the crook of his arm. 

"We can stay here all night," he said, his fingers stroking her arm. "And tomorrow night." 

"We just need some food," she said, yawning. "Ice cream. I'm hungry." 

His body stiffened, remembering the snacks they had shared in bed so many years ago, on the day his heart beat for the first time in over 240 years. 

"What?" she said, noticing the sudden ridged-ness of his body.

He forced his body to relax and smiled at her. "Nothing," he whispered, and kissed the top of her head. 

"Are you hungry?" she asked. 

"Just for you," he said. 

She heard the smile in his voice. "I have a cure for that," she told him and rolled over to face him. She planted tiny kisses on his chest and he chuckled softly in delight. 

"This works," he said. The kisses trailed off and she lay her head on his chest. "Someday I'm going to hear your heart beat in there, Angel," she whispered ferociously. 

"Wh-what?" _This was getting a little surreal, _he thought. _No way this is all a coincidence. She's repeating everything she said that day._

"This is going to blow over. It will. We'll find a way to stop it," she said, not lifting her head from his chest. 

Angel stared at the ceiling, playing with her hair. "I hope so," he said at last. 

She was silent, lost in thought. "Do you think this was a good idea?" she asked softly. 

"Us? This?" 

She nodded. 

"We've never been too good at doing what's best for us, Buffy," he said ruefully. "At least when we're together." 

"No, we haven't." Her voice sounded far away. "If we make it, if we stop Angelus from coming, what then?" 

"I don't know," he answered her truthfully. 

She was silent again. 

"Buffy…" he said, concern in his voice. 

She sat up abruptly. "Let's not talk about it right now. Let's just enjoy what we have. We've walked away before and that hasn't stopped us from loving each other. This time, let's give in and see where it takes us." 

She moved in to kiss him. "Can you be satisfied without…you know…making love?" he asked her desperately. 

She paused, her mouth inches from his. "Can you?" 

Her body hung over his, her scent filling his nostrils, obliterating his senses. "Oh, yeah," he said huskily and devoured her mouth. 


	7. Worst Fears Realized

Buffy fell asleep despite her best efforts to make the night last as long as possible

Buffy fell asleep despite her best efforts to make the night last as long as possible. Angel lay on the bed, holding her in the crook of his arm, enjoying the heat from her body, remembering the last time he had watched her sleep next to him. He watched her for hours, the rise and fall of her chest, the way her facial expressions changed as she dreamt, the flutter of her eyelashes. He admired her strong cheekbones, the curve of her chin, the nape of her neck. 

She turned in her sleep, facing away from him though still pressed tightly against his long frame. His fingers ran down her arm, raising goose bumps on her tanned skin. They traced the length of her arm, ran over each finger, then back up again to her neck. Shifting to prop himself up on one arm he looked down at his own sleeping beauty and was greeted with the sight of his mark on her, his brand. The bite had had years to heal, yet the two marks where his teeth had sank into her flesh, where he had drank deeply from her, were still clearly evident. She had allowed him to drink from her, to save himself, when Faith had poisoned him. Even now, so many years later, through all they had survived together, it still touched him deeply that she had given of herself to save his life. The life of a vampire that could give her nothing in return and who would end up causing her so much pain. 

He touched the mark, felt its heat and for a moment remembered what it had been like to feed on her. To place his hot lips on her skin, to bite, to feel the release. Her blood had sang in his veins, the power of it had almost been too much. She tasted sweet and sultry at the same time and he felt her strength and her love as he drank. He hadn't fed on anyone in years until that moment, but he knew it had only been so powerful because it was her. He wondered what Riley had had to say about the mark. He was the only boyfriend of Buffy's who knew the entire truth about her and her world. He wouldn't have blamed the boy if the bite had unnerved him. And a part of him liked to think it had. 

Bending down he kissed the mark. She stirred in her sleep, dreaming. "What's going on in that head, little Slayer," he murmured, stroking the side of her face. She sighed, a smile playing on her lips and for a moment Angel thought she was playing possum. The smile deepened then her lips parted, her mouth forming a silent "O." Her face was combined in an expression of ecstasy and pain. Her hand clenched the sheets. 

It was over as quickly as it had started. She woke suddenly and looked around her without lifting her head. His face was one of the first things she saw. 

"Hi," she said lazily, closing her eyes again. 

"Hi yourself," he answered. 

"What time is it?" 

"It's still early," he told her. 

She smiled and snuggled back against him. "Good dream?" he asked. 

Her eyes opened. "Yeah, I guess so, why?" 

"You were smiling. Did I play a central part in this dream?" he asked. 

She smiled again. "Could be." 

He watched her expectantly. "Well?" 

"I don't…I don't want to tell you Angel," she said, toying with his fingers. 

"Why?" 

"It will make you feel bad." 

"I can take it," he told her, kissing her ear. 

She was silent for a moment, then, "I have this dream every once in a while, maybe once a year. I dreamed we were on a pier. I was standing there watching the ocean and you suddenly came up behind me and kissed me. It was wonderful." 

He tried not to react but his body betrayed him. He froze and she felt it. 

"What?" she demanded. "Angel?" 

He smiled down at her but his eyes gave him away. "Nothing, the dream sounds nice

"There's something else…it's like earlier when I said, 'Food is good.' You reacted to that too. And when I said I would hear your heart beat one day." 

"Really, it's nothing. I just feel bad that I can't stand with you on that pier…at least, during the day. Was it during the day?" he probed. 

"Yeah…" she said, remembering. 

"And you've had this dream before?" 

"Uh hmm….for the last few years…" 

He was quiet, thinking. Once a year she dreamed of their kiss on the pier. Thanksgiving, the year he had moved to LA. "You only have this dream once a year and you remember having it?" he asked softly. 

"Well, it's a nice dream," she said defensively. Rolling over she looked up at him suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me? You're wigging." 

He leaned over and kissed her. "It's nothing," he said when they parted. "Really. I just don't want this day to stop happening," he said, ashamed at testing her. "But I suppose we can make another like it tomorrow." 

She smiled, grudgingly accepting his answer. "Count on it." She snuggled down in his arms again and shut her eyes. 

Angel closed his as well. _If we make it through this, I'll tell you. I'll tell you all about that day,_ he swore, guilt ripping through him. He tightened his grip on her and tried to sleep before dawn came. 

*** 

Morning arrived and they were forced to leave the bedroom. They dressed quickly. Taking the sewers to Buffy's house was their only choice as the day had broken with a beautiful sunrise. They walked together, hand in hand. 

"Not the most romantic walk I've ever taken," Buffy said wryly. 

"Oh, I don't know. Around this bend there's a beautiful arrangement of mold on the wall," he answered her lightly. 

"I won't be long at home. I just want to jump in the shower and change. Then we've got to head out to Giles'." 

"Take your time." 

"Time we don't have," she reminded him.

They arrived at the sewer line outside her house. Buffy ran inside quickly and grabbed a blanket out of the hall closet. Returning to the manhole she threw it down to him and he jumped out, running at full speed towards the safety of shade. 

Smoke billowed around him. "Are you okay?" she asked when they were safely inside. 

He nodded as Willow came around the corner. 

"Hey guys! Nice of you to come home last night, Buffy," she teased. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Morning, Will." 

A door opened upstairs and Buffy leaned into the staircase to see who had emerged. Oz walked from Willow's room to the bathroom, wearing little more than a pair of shorts. 

Buffy gave Willow a look. "You have room to talk." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said innocently, then wrinkled her nose and giggled. 

"Willow Rosenberg! I'm shocked and appalled." 

Angel stood there watching the exchange uncomfortably. 

"We just talked…and snuggled," Willow admitted. "It was nice." 

"Hmm. Well, get dressed. We've gotta get moving. Are Cordy and Gunn up?" 

Willow nodded. "Yeah. Barely. You think Cordelia's not real pleasant in the afternoon, you should try waking her up." 

Angel cleared his throat. "Uh, Buffy?" he said, indicating that she should get a move on. 

"Right. Right, shower. Brushing of the teeth. I'm on it. Back in a minute, okay? You can wait in my room if you want." He nodded and the three climbed the stairs. 

Buffy grabbed clothes from her closet and Angel sat on the bed, looking around. Over the years he had kept tabs on her, frequently checking in on her as she slept, as he always had. The room hadn't changed much. 

"Back in a jif," she said and sailed out into the hall, the door closing halfway behind her. His leather jacket hung from a hook on the back. Angel couldn't help but smile. She was happy. So was he…except for this impending sense of doom. 

She met Willow in the hall bathroom, brushing her teeth. "Mind?" she asked, indicating the shower. Willow shook her head, toothpaste foaming around her mouth. She turned away from her friend to give her some privacy. 

Buffy turned on the shower and jumped in a moment later. "So," she called to Willow. "What's the deal?" 

Willow smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "No deal. Deal free. Monty Hall would be disappointed." 

Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled back the curtain enough to see her friend. "Right," she said and returned to washing her hair. 

"What's _your_ deal?" Willow asked, washing her face. 

"I asked you fir-irst," Buffy called out in a singsong voice. 

Willow sighed happily. "Well, if you're going to push…it was soo nice, Buffy," she gushed. "You know, we've been friends for a long time. We love each other. But last night, I don't know. He's been gone a long time. I mean, he hasn't even visited in two years." 

"But…"

Willow leaned against the vanity, face-washing forgotten. "It was like old-times. We talked for hours. I mean, every time we see each other we talk, but last night…last night we grew up. You know what I mean? It's like for years we've been saying, 'I love you, but this can't ever work,' and last night we said, 'Why the heck not?' Nothing happened, I mean, we did proceed with some after hours cuddling, but no major moves were made." 

"I'd say that sounds like a deal," Buffy said, smiling for her friend. "And very familiar." 

Willow's eyes flew open. "I demand answers!" she exclaimed. "Complete with all the parts that made you feel dizzy." 

"How do you know there were any?" Buffy asked, teasingly. 

"Cordelia isn't the only one who's usually a grump in the morning." 

Buffy laughed. "Well, you're right. There are definitely happy feelings this morning." 

"Buffy, you two didn't, I mean…you still can't, right?" 

"No, of course not. We fought, actually. And then…we weren't fighting any more, we were kissing. And then we kissed some more…" Buffy said, her voice trailing off as she remembered the feeling of his lips on her skin.

"You fought?" 

"Yeah…about tomorrow. And what's going to happen. How we're going to deal." 

"And you decided that smooches were the best way to prevent Angel from turning?" 

"It just sorta…happened. One minute we're fighting and I'm bawling. And the next…he swept me off my feet. Literally." The water turned off. 

Willow sagged against the vanity, a hopeless romantic. "Wow." 

Buffy pulled back the curtain, encased in a towel. She grinned. "I know. Then we just held each other all night. Our nights seemed to have gone the same way…scary," she said, wrapping her hair in a towel.

"But in a good way," Willow concluded. They grinned wickedly at each other, feeling again as they had in high school. 

"Most definitely."

"So," Willow prodded, but reluctantly, "What are you going to do?" 

"It's like you what you said about you and Oz. We've gone so long avoiding each other and look where it's gotten us. We're lonely and a-lone. That doesn't seem to make it go away." 

"Yeah…I just don't know. About me, I mean. Me and Oz." She paused. "It sounds like that goes together, doesn't it? Me and Oz," she said, trying it out. 

Buffy smiled. "Sounds good to me." 

"Sounds just as good as Buffy and Angel," Willow said, cocking her head to the side. 

Buffy didn't answer her. 

"I'll let you change," Willow said, and exited the bathroom. 

"Buffy and Angel," Buffy said to herself. 

*** 

Everyone was up and ready to go soon after. They ate quickly and exited, all of them opting to use the sewers rather than make Angel feel like the outsider. Buffy was surprised that Cordelia didn't even snip about it and said as much to Angel. 

"She's different now Buffy. Surely you can see that." 

Buffy nodded. "Of course I can. She just never ceases to amaze me." 

"Come on you two. I didn't get up at the crack of dawn to have the smell of sewer on me all day," Cordy yelled back to them from up ahead in the pipe. 

Buffy looked at Angel sideways. "She still has her limitations," he said sheepishly. They trekked on. 

They reached the Magic Box minutes later. Giles and Wesley were already there, each reading deeply from books. 

"Morning," Buffy said, opening the door. Angel came in from the back. "What, did you guys sleep here?" she asked. 

"It feels like it," Giles answered her. "Good morning." 

They all flopped down into chairs. "So…anything?" Buffy asked hopefully. 

Wesley shook his head. "Nothing on how to stop this, I'm sorry, Buffy," he said regretfully. "But we will find something. I'm sure of it." 

The door opened again and Xander and Anya walked in carrying boxes. 

"More doughnuts," Anya said. 

"I like that every time you've walked through that door you're carrying food," Oz said to Xander. 

"How do you think I've kept my friends this long?" Xander quipped. 

"Where are Erin and Alex?" Willow asked, quietly. She glanced at Angel who was reading something over Wesley's shoulder. 

Xander followed her eyes. "With a neighbor," he said just as softly. "Anya and I'll go back to check on them a couple times, but we're here for you," he said, turning to Buffy. 

She watched them curiously. Realization dawned on her face a moment later. "I won't let it get that far, Xander," she told her friend. "Angelus won't even have a chance to think about Erin and Alex. But," she said reluctantly, "you're right not to talk about this in front of him. Angelus remembers everything." He nodded at her, not looking entirely convinced. 

"Buffy," Giles interrupted. "I believe Wesley and I have located a spot for you and Angel to contact the Powers That Be."

"Great. Back to work," she said. "Where do we go?"

"I'm afraid we get to return to high school." 

"But isn't that a Hellmouth opening?" Oz asked. 

"Yes," Wesley answered, "but good and evil spring from the same energies. It's just a matter of how they're used. The library, what's left of it anyway, is a hotspot for mystical convergence. It should work." 

She and Angel exchanged glances. "Let's go," he said. 

"I've been back to the school more times since graduation than when I was an actual student," Xander muttered. 

"We need a gift," Cordelia reminded them. 

"I thought that was just for the Oracles," Buffy said, looking from Cordelia to Giles. 

"You don't just show up at the doorstep of Higher Powers and say, 'Gimme,'" Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. 

"Okay, okay," Buffy said, looking around. Giles walked to the counter and picked up something from behind it. 

"Here," he said, presenting her with an amulet on a silver chain. "This is the stone of Gilia. A coveted gem in the demon world." 

"What does it do?" Buffy asked. "Well, used properly it can change the form of objects. It was last used by the Armithian army to turn their enemies into boulders." 

She inspected it. "Pretty," she said simply. She turned to Angel. "Gifts are us. Let's go." 

*** 

The high school, for whatever reason, had never been torn down. Its hollowed out shell still stood, blackened and burnt. They entered it gingerly. 

Giles led the way into what had once been their second home, the library. 

"You know, I actually liked it better filled with musty old books," Cordelia said, looking around. 

"What do we do?" Buffy asked Angel. 

"Cordelia says the incantation that opens the portal. We step through." 

"Easy enough." 

"Good luck," Willow said, giving her friends a half-smile. "Put 'em through the ringer." 

Buffy took a deep breath. "Ready," she said to Cordelia. 

Cordy nodded and stepped forward. "Let the door be opened, let the light come through. Admit passage to those who seek it here. Guide them in this time of questions. I beseech you," she called out dramatically. 

The air began to crackle. Buffy took Angel's hand and squeezed it. Suddenly, a light appeared and with a flash they were standing in a room filled with energy, alone. A lone pedestal stood before them. 

They looked at each other. "Hello?" Buffy asked timidly. 

"What have you brought us?" a voice asked. 

Angel stepped forward. "The amulet of Gilia," he said, holding the necklace by its chain. He knelt, reverently, and sat it on the pedestal. 

Two small balls of light formed in front of them, growing bigger and brighter until they took on the shapes of a man and woman. 

"Who are they?" Buffy whispered. 

"The Oracles," Angel whispered back, "their spirits, anyway. Their human forms were destroyed by Vocah years ago." 

"A pity," the female said to them, having heard their exchange. "Though not necessary for our spirits to live on." 

"We speak for the Highest Ones. What do you seek from us?" the male asked. 

"You have sent visions to the link between our worlds. We want to know what they mean," Angel said. 

"It is not yet for you to know," the male answered. 

"But we have to know!" Buffy said impatiently. "Angel's going to turn and we don't even know why, or how to stop it!" 

The male looked irritated and began to speak, but the female stopped him. "My child," she said, smiling gently at Buffy, "your love for the champion is strong. Perhaps more than you can handle. Use your love to guide him." 

"Why am I going to change?" Angel demanded. 

The female turned to him and gazed intently. "Your love for the chosen is as powerful now as it was when last we met. Hold on to it, remember it. It is all you need, if you are strong enough." 

The male spoke suddenly. "Sister, you are weak when it comes to these two. This should not concern us." He sighed, "However…the Powers watch them, thus we must tolerate their questions." He turned to Angel. "The demon within you will rise, that much is true." 

"We know that," Buffy said but Angel shot her a look. She shut her mouth and listened. 

"The circle will form, love will bind you inside. The wolf, the witch, the visionary," Sister said. 

"…the tin-man, the saint, the weapon," Brother continued. 

"The one who watches over and the father," Sister finished. "And inside their love the chosen and the demon will meet. And one will die." 

"No!" Buffy cried, stepping forward. "Why?!" 

"It is written," the Brother said. 

"Written where? By who?" she cried, falling to her knees. 

The female stepped in front of her. Buffy looked up with pain in her eyes. "Child, now is not the time for tears. The fight will take place." 

Angel walked to Buffy and helped her up. "You said that the chosen will meet with the demon, and one will die. What happens to me if she wins?" 

The Sister stood in front of him. "The demon will die." 

"The demon," Angel said again. He turned to Buffy. "The demon will die." 

His words hit her, the meaning of them almost bringing her to her knees again. "Angel will be human?" she whispered, disbelieving. 

"It is written," the Sister said. "You will Become." 

"Become?" Buffy asked, confused. 

"Why?" Angel asked, suspicion creeping into this voice. "Why now?"

"That is not for you to know at this time," the Brother said. 

"Who cares?" Buffy whispered, gripping his hand. 

"I do," he said, looking into her eyes. "I have to know." He turned back to the Oracles. "When will it be time?" 

Brother and sister turned their backs on them, almost as if conferring with the light behind them. They turned simultaneously. "We have said enough." 

"What happens if the demon wins?" Angel asked, panic in his voice. 

"The demon will Become. Chaos will reign." 

"Wait, how do I defeat the demon without killing Angel?" Buffy cried. 

"We have said enough. By the light of the moon the battle will rage. You are each others strengths." They said together, and began to fade. "No! Tell me! I can't kill him! I can't kill him!" she shouted. 

With a _whoosh_ Buffy and Angel were back in the dilapidated library. They got their bearings and turned to each other, stunned. 

"They didn't like the gift?" Giles asked, confused.

"It always happens like that," Cordy explained. "They've been gone for God knows how long, but to us it's a split-second deal. So what happened?" 

Buffy and Angel remained locked in each other's eyes. Slowly Angel reached up and touched her face. She took his hand and pressed it closer to her skin. 

He leaned in and touched his forehead to hers. "This can't be happening," he said, pain in his voice. 

"I can't," she gasped. "I can't do it. Oh, Angel, I can't." 

"What?" Cordy asked again. "What can't you do?" 

Angel turned to them, his eyes sick with horror. "Buffy has to kill me."


	8. A Glimpse of the Past

The room stood silent

The room stood silent. No one moved, no one even dared to breathe. Buffy repeated, "I can't," in a whisper so forlorn it broke all their hearts. 

Giles finally stepped forward. "Are you sure?" he asked, "They told you…they told you that…" 

Angel fought for words. "The Oracles said that we would meet under the moon, form a circle, and Buffy and I would fight. One would die." He returned his eyes to Buffy's face. He placed both hands on the sides of her tearstained face. "But if you win, if you can defeat the demon, I'm mortal." 

This time his words were greeted with gasps from all around. 

"Angel," Cordy said, taking a step forward. "Human?" she asked him softly. 

He nodded. "Buffy," he said tenderly,"…you have to remember that. You've defeated me, Angelus, before. You can do it again." 

She threw his hands down. "You don't know what you're saying! You don't know what you're asking me to do!" she cried. "I can't kill you again. I _won't._" She pushed away from him, turning her back to his fallen face. 

Willow stepped forward. "I don't understand. How can you become human if she kills you?" 

"The Oracles said we would be surrounded by a circle of love, by you," he said, indicating the group, "and we would fight. If Buffy wins the demon is defeated. They said I will Become. I…I don't know exactly how. They said it was written." 

"Written _where?_" Cordelia exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Things are always _written._ We have _got_ to get this book." 

"And if Angelus wins?" Wesley asked, dreading the answer. 

"They said I will Become. Chaos will reign." 

"'It is written, you will Become,'" Xander mimicked. "Become what? Cryptic little higher beings, aren't they?" 

"Become," Giles said, amazed, "It means to transfer, to move to a higher level, to ascend…generally to become more powerful. Angel will either ascend to human status or the demon will be all-consuming." 

"That's one heavily tipped scale," Oz muttered. 

"And none of this is gonna go down until tomorrow night?" Gunn asked, taking Cordy's hand. Her face had gone ashen. 

"Under the moon," Buffy said, her back to them. 

Willow walked over to her. "Buffy?" she asked, wringing her hands. "Isn't this a good thing? Angel will be human." 

__

"If I can beat him. He almost killed me last time. And we don't even know how I'm supposed to do this. What happens to Angel if I do win? More centuries in Hell before he's returned? And how is he even brought forth? When do we form the circle? And where? And…" Xander cut her off by pulling her into his arms. 

"Buffy, we'll figure it out," he told her, stroking her hair. "We still have a day and a half to work on this and no one is going anywhere. But you can't fall apart on us now, no matter how much you deserve to." To the others he said, "Let's get outta here." 

"Fine by me. There are still giant snake parts all over. Don't these things recycle, you know, 'return to the earth?'" Cordelia said, walking to the doorway. 

"Oh, right. This is where the Mayor or whoever turned himself into a snake to end the world," Gunn said, catching on. 

"And then he got all blowed up by Buffy and several thousand pounds of TNT," Xander answered him. "It was really cool." 

"I thought your favorite part was when the Mayor ate Principal Snyder," Willow asked as they walked down the hall. 

Xander smiled, his eyes dreamy. "Yeah, I still replay that part in my mind sometimes." 

Oz looked at him strangely. "You've got some issues to work out, don't you?" 

"A few, yeah." 

They entered the sewer system and began the short walk back to the Magic Box. Buffy and Angel were silent. Giles watched her carefully, concerned, as Wesley watched Angel. Ahead, the rest talked quietly to one another. "I don't think we can stop this from happening," Giles admitted to Wesley. 

Wesley pondered this. "No, I don't suppose we can. It's in the hands of higher powers. They're the ones calling the shots now," he said grudgingly. 

"I don't know how to tell her," the Watcher admitted, casting an eye on the petite blonde walking slowly ahead of them. 

"I think she already knows, Rupert. As does Angel. The important thing now is to make sure that Buffy can hold it together long enough to see this through. If she falls apart…we don't stand a chance." Giles nodded in agreement. 

Buffy and Angel walked side by side. "I can't believe this," she said. 

Angel shook his head. "Me neither." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Are you okay with all this? I mean, I know it's a lot to absorb. I've had 250-odd years to think about dying, about redemption." 

"I wouldn't use the word 'okay,'" she said, sighing. She stepped to the side to avoid a dead rat. 

"Completely thrown. That about sums it up." 

"Can you do it?" he asked softly. 

"Kill you?" she said, her tone off-hand. "Sure, no problem. Been there done that." 

"I'm serious," he said. "You know you have to. I'm sorry, I know this is hard, but think of the consequences if you don't do it." 

She snorted. "I wouldn't use the simple word 'hard,' either. I just want to understand. Why does it have to go down like this? Why violently? Why can't they just *poof* you're human? I mean, is that beneath them? The equivalent to parlor tricks in their world?" 

"I guess because I'm paying for my sins. I don't know. I don't know why you have to be involved in this," he said, then apologized quickly. "I didn't mean it that way, I want you involved, I just don't want you to have to suffer, again." 

"It's no big. I get it."

They reached the ladder that would take them to street level, to the alley behind the shop. One by one they climbed up and walked into the store, once again taking seats at the large round table. Cordelia was the first to walk in and she headed straight for the coffeepot. Wesley threw a pained expression at Giles, who hurried over to help her brew. 

Cordelia stopped suddenly. "Uh, guys?" They all turned to her. "Who's that?" 

Sitting at the top of the alcove stairs sat a man, wearing a suit with a loud shirt underneath and leather fedora sat on top his head. He smiled, winked. 

Angel and Buffy moved forward to get a better look. "I know you," Buffy said, confused. "You're Whistler." 

Angel looked at her in surprise. "How do you know him?" he asked. 

"Cutie and I have met before. You weren't there," he said to Angel, walking down the steps. "You were off with psycho-girl and that vampire friend of hers trying to end the world." 

"Who?" Angel asked. 

"Faith?" Willow guessed. 

"Darla?" came from Cordy.

"Drusilla," Buffy corrected them. "When you were trying to wake up Acathla," she explained to Angel. "We…talked." 

Whistler raised his eyebrows and looked from Angel to Buffy. "You got that kinda record with women and you let this one go? I'll never understand you, Angel," he said, shaking his head. "Well, let me get a look at ya. You certainly smell better than the last time I saw you." 

"Exactly what kind of relationship did you two have?" Buffy asked, looking from Whistler to Angel. 

"Angel and I go way back. When was that? 1996…Manhattan, I believe." 

"You lived in New York?" Cordy asked, impressed. "Did you ever stay put?" 

Angel ignored her. Whistler continued. "Angel here was living the high life…on Skid Row. Eating a rat once a year, if he could even scrounge that up. God, the smell…it's with me to this day. Luckily, I was asked to intervene." 

Buffy turned to Angel, amazed at this bit of information. "That's enough," Angel said menacingly, "Why are you here?" 

Whistler smiled, biting down on his toothpick. "You need me." 

"For what?" Angel asked. 

"'Cause you guys have a rough time ahead. Need a little extra guidance." 

"The Powers wouldn't tell us anything concrete, and twenty minutes later you're here?" Buffy asked suspiciously. 

"Let's just say that the Sister has a thing for romance. For love. She sent me." 

Anya's eyes lit up. "Oohh! Tell her Anyaka says "hi" next time you talk to her. She'll remember me." 

Xander raised his hand. "Um. _Hi..._ What's going on? What's with the Fandango Kid? The Powers That Be have their own pimp?" 

"Hey!" Whistler said, offended. "Lay off the clothes. Sheesh," he said, straightening the collar on his jacket. "I'm another connection to the Powers That Be. Sent here to help you all figure out what to do with this Angelus thing. But if you don't want me here…" he said and started to walk away. 

Buffy moved and blocked him from leaving.

"How can you help us?" Giles asked. 

"Slayer," he said to Buffy. "I told you once that in the end, all you have is yourself, remember that?" She nodded. "Well, way to prove me wrong." 

Buffy looked confused. "What?" 

"As it turns out, you need something else. You need Angel." 

She said nothing, not sure how literally he was talking. 

Whistler turned to Angel. "That goes for you, too, _champion,_" he said, rolling his eyes. "A long time ago I showed you something, something that made you want to change that life you were living, if you can call it that, to fight the good fight. To become someone. Remember?" 

Angel's eyes flickered with annoyance. 

"Good, you do. So you travel here, to a Hellmouth, to the Hellmouth, actually, and you start fighting along side a brand new Slayer. She's fresh, she's exciting, and she's just in from LA. Eventually you two become friends. Then you become _super_-good friends and things go to Hell. That wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to be there to _stop_ Acathla from coming forth, not to play the key role in his awakening." 

"There a point to this story?" Angel asked, jaw clenched. 

"Yeah, there's a point," he said sincerely. "You changed destiny. Destiny has more than one road, but with this one little detail, you managed to change most of the important factors in your life. In both your lives."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy broke in. 

"I told you then: _It wasn't supposed to go down like this. No one saw you coming._ You and Angel were supposed to work together to stop the Looneybin and Peg or Stake or whatever his name is from awakening Acathla. Instead, well…you know what happened." 

"It's Spike," Anya corrected him helpfully. 

"So Buffy and I were together and we changed history. What does that mean?" Angel asked. 

"It means that destiny is working to restore the natural order of things. You were supposed to stop the apocalypse, Angel. It would have proven you're worthy. Instead, you got yourself sent to Hell and our side lost an air-quote 'warrior.'" 

__

I'm not worthy…Angel's words from the day before echoed in Buffy's ears. "Angel would have been worthy?" she asked, stricken. 

"But I was returned from Hell. The Oracles told me I was here to help people. That I wouldn't be redeemed until I had atoned for my sins." Angel's voice was flat, his heart ached at what he had lost. 

Whistler nodded and began pacing the shop floor. "We needed you. The Sister…I told you. She's got this hankering to see the two of you work out your issues. She pointed out to the Powers that your turning wasn't your fault, you didn't know what could change you, had no way of stopping it. They relented, under the condition that Fate worked to fix this mess." He paused and looked at Angel meaningfully. "And they were impressed with what you gave up later on, for her." 

Buffy looked from Whistler to Angel. "What? Gave up what? What's he talking about?" 

Angel glanced at her and cursed Whistler's existence. Before he could say anything Whistler spoke up. "Well, Fate's been putting in overtime on this one. It's time. Tomorrow night. You get your second chance." He paused dramatically. "Are you ready for it?" 

__

"Ready for it?" Buffy cried. "We don't even know what's going to happen." 

Giles, seated at the table with everyone else, cut in. "Angel and Buffy were supposed to fight side by side…you came here only to help her? I always assumed…well, assumed you were here on your own," he said to Angel gently. 

Angel looked away, avoiding Buffy's eyes. 

"It was Buffy that Whistler showed you, wasn't it?" Wesley asked. "That made you want to become someone. LA. 1996. You said you saw her Called. It all fits." 

Angel said nothing. 

"So you came here, to Sunnydale, to be with her, to help her. You didn't even know her…you'd never even talked to her…" Willow said, touched. 

"You worked together, killed the Master, fought the big bads…and then you _became_ the big bad…" Cordelia said as they all pieced together the story. "You know, you've Become a lot of stuff," she told him. 

"Then you get sent to Hell and returned here all Dark Avengery. But it doesn't work, because you changed the way things were supposed to be. You and _Buffy_ couldn't work because too many factors had been changed. So you left," Xander followed up. 

"Bu-but you can't stop thinking about each other, even after all these years, your paths always manage to cross, because if destiny hadn't been altered you two would be together now!" Willow cried gleefully. 

"And now, years later, you're here, back to where it was supposed to take place, back to the beginning!" Wesley said excitedly. "Back to the beginning of your teaming up with Buffy." 

"See!" Gunn shouted, slamming a fist down onto the table. "I was right! It's all about the two of them." 

The group sat around happily, pleased they had solved some of the puzzle. Buffy and Angel stared at them, stunned. 

Whistler rolled his eyes. "You guys are quick, let me tell ya," he said sarcastically. He turned to Angel. "Did you think it was just a big coincidence that you were contacted by the Powers days before blondie was Called? You two were a set from the beginning. This has been in the works since your soul was restored. The Powers were just biding time until she was ready," he said, indicating Buffy. "And born for that matter. They just didn't factor love into it." 

Slowly, Buffy turned to Whistler. "So what does this mean? What are we supposed to do?" 

"Sorry, kiddo. It's up to you two from here on out. You'll know what to do when it happens. If you do it right, destiny will be rerouted. If you don't, well, I've never seen the Powers give a guy a third chance." 

"You can't even tell us about the spell?" she asked. 

"Spell?" 

She sighed. "The spell that gets us all in the circle." 

He shook his head. "Can't, sorry. Probably already said more than I'm supposed to. You guys are smart. You'll figure it out. You got this far, right? I'm just here to give you some extra incentive." He turned to Angel. "You've done this before. You've pushed Angelus down. I just hope you can do it again." He turned from them and walked to the door. Opening it, he looked back once again to the ten people staring after him. "Make it right." 


	9. Piecing It Together

Whistler was gone and everyone stood around the magic shop studying Buffy and Angel, trying to figure out what they were going to do with this information

Whistler was gone and everyone stood around the magic shop studying Buffy and Angel, trying to figure out what they were going to do with this information. For the last few minutes they had been sitting at the table, each staring straight ahead, their minds fuzzy. 

"Boy," Buffy said finally, breaking the tension that had built up. 

"You can say that again," Angel murmured. 

"And it's not even _lunch,_" Cordelia said, dazed. 

Willow crossed to Buffy and wrapped an arm around her, hugging her. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. 

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I am. It's a lot to take in, but…I'll be fine." She turned to Angel. "How are you?" 

"Yeah, mister about-to-be-worthy…I'm guessing this goes on your top ten list of days to be undead," Xander said. 

"Actually, I'm thinking tomorrow will be better," Angel mused, "_after_ the part where I die." He caught Buffy's eyes and held them. Tentatively she offered him a smile. He returned it. Her hand slid across the table and touched his fingers. Slowly he curled them around her own and gave her arm a gentle tug. She rose and walked over to him, then wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. 

"Tomorrow night, you could be human again," she said her voice muffled by his coat. 

He didn't answer her, just held her, and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. Willow and Cordelia exchanged happy smiles. 

"So," Wesley said, clearing his throat. "Where do we go from here?" 

Xander stepped forward. "Sorry to return the conversation to this side of deathly serious, but can we have a review before the quiz?" 

Giles walked over to the teapot and poured himself a cup. "It seems simple, actually. Sometime tomorrow evening the ten of us will gather. Angelus will be brought forth and he and Buffy will fight. If Buffy wins…when, _when_ Buffy wins, somehow Angel's spirit will live on but the demon Angelus will be thwarted." 

"Who had $10 on when one of the two Brits would say 'thwarted?'" Gunn called, looking around. 

"I had 'finite'," Oz said. 

"We don't need even to discuss what happens if Angelus wins," Cordy muttered. She looked up suddenly, "Not that I think that might happen!" she added quickly. 

"Wrong. You need to consider that, Cordelia," Angel said. "I don't know what this spell is that's going to involve forming a circle, but I know that if Buffy fails, which you won't," he said to her and her grip on his waist tightened, "…you need to be ready to kill me then and there. Everyone goes armed." 

"To the teeth," Wesley added. 

"Eight on one," Oz said, "pretty good odds we'll win." 

"But still chancy. Everyone goes armed," Angel repeated. "We don't know if this spell will have any after effects. If you're dazed for even a moment…don't forget, I'll remember this conversation. Angelus will be expecting you to be prepared. I…he won't stop to banter. He'll just kill." 

The joyful feelings everyone had been sharing moments before were quickly vanishing as a cold, sinking feeling settled into their stomachs. 

"God, I wish it didn't have to be this way," Buffy said, letting out a huge sigh. 

"It's pretty amazing, though, don't you think?" Willow asked. "I mean, think about it Buffy…you and Angel are destined to be together, to fight side by side. It's…it's _written!_ I mean, written…predestined…wow." 

Buffy gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah…" 

"It's nice," Angel said, looking into her eyes. 

"Where was I when they were handing out destinies?" Xander muttered. 

"I know this isn't really important," Anya said, "but who exactly is that Whistler guy?" 

Buffy glanced at Angel. "He's like a messenger for the Powers That Be." 

"Like Doyle was…" Cordelia said softly. Gunn took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Though never having met him, Gunn had a great amount of appreciation for Doyle; for a man that had loved Cordy and had given up his own life to save the world. "Like you are," he told her. 

"And you've both met him before, but neither one of you knew about it?" Willow asked. 

"I guess so," Buffy answered, looking to Angel for an explanation. 

"Yeah, what's all this about you living in New York?" Cordelia asked, leaning in. "Which part of town? Hey! Did you get to see _Cats_ on actual Broadway? Or off-Broadway even?" 

Angel looked uncomfortable. "I…lived on the streets." 

"You were in a gang? Like a vampire gang? Sharks and Jets kinda thing?" she asked. 

"I'd think Bloods and Crypts, but something tells me Angel's never been into that," Oz said. 

"No, I—I was homeless," Angel told them shamefully. 

"Wow…" Cordelia said. "Really really homeless? Like cardboard box, collecting tin cans homeless?" 

Angel gave her a look and she shut her mouth. 

"Cordelia, please…" Wesley sighed. 

"Why were you homeless?" Buffy asked softly, imaging how hard life must have been for him. 

"My soul had been restored over a hundred years before. I was…lost. I didn't know what to do with my life. Figured I was doomed to live in misery forever, remembering all the horrible things I'd done." 

"Then Whistler came to you," Gunn said. 

Angel nodded. "He knew what I was, knew that I hadn't fed on anyone in over a hundred years. Knew it was wearing me down." 

"So he took you to LA? To see Buffy?" Wesley asked. 

"He asked if I wanted to become someone, told me that the Powers needed me on their side. So we went to LA. I watched Buffy, outside her school, called by Merrick." 

"Who's Merrick?" Cordy asked. 

"Buffy's first Watcher," Giles said softly. 

Gunn looked surprised. "You weren't her first Watcher?" Giles shook his head.

"Merrick was killed by vampires," Buffy said. The bond between she and Merrick had never grown to what she had with Giles, but it had still been horrible to lose him. 

"So then what? You saw her called and…?" Xander prodded. So much of Angel's past had never been revealed to them. 

Angel cleared his throat. "I saw her called and watched her kill her first vampire. Then she went home and looked at herself in the mirror. Saw herself as the Slayer for the first time. And I decided I wanted to help her." 

Buffy slowly moved to a chair and sat down, dumbfounded and fascinated at the same time. Angel watched her carefully. 

"Why?" Willow asked suddenly. 

Angel shrugged. "She needed help. She was so young…" 

"No, I mean…the Powers put you two together for a reason. They called you, Angel, kinda like they called Buffy…only it seems you had a choice and she really didn't, but, still. Whistler said you two were meant to fight together, that this isn't the way things were supposed to be. You weren't ever supposed to have…been a couple…and right now you two should still be out there fighting as a team. A platonic team." 

"Where're you going with this, Will?" Buffy asked. 

"But why _together_? I mean, you both fight the big hairy evil things without each other, heck, in different cities now, and…don't take this the wrong way, but why do you have to do it _together?_" the red head asked. "What's so important that the Powers need you to be a team?"

"You mean, what's coming that the world needs the two of them working side by side…" Wesley said. 

"Well…yeah," Willow said. 

"Something big," Cordy said. 

"And hairy," Xander followed her. 

"And evil," Oz finished. 

"Buffy," Willow said, turning to her friend. "Why did Whistler come to you?" 

Buffy shifted in her seat. "Angel and Drusilla were going to wake up Acathla," she said slowly, "back when we were juniors in high school. They had kidnapped Giles, put you in the hospital, killed Ms. Calendar." 

Angel hung his head. 

"I knew, that night," she continued, "that I was going to have to kill him, unless you could re-curse him before he pulled the sword from Acathla's body. Whistler was at Giles' apartment. He told me that the sword wasn't enough to kill Angelus. That I had to know how to use it. He said only Angel's blood would stop it from happening, and that Acathla had to suck Angel into Hell." Her voice was very low and faraway. She paused now and Willow took her hand. "He told me that night that it wasn't supposed to be like this, that Angel was supposed to be there, helping me to stop Dru from waking up Acathla." 

"But it was too late, huh?" Gunn said, admiring the strength Buffy had possessed even at such a young age. 

She nodded. "The curse restored his soul but Acathla had already been woken up, so…" 

No one finished the story. 

"And now, he's back here again, to give us new instructions to right the way of things," Giles said. 

"To make sure that you two get back together," Anya said. "The Sister always was a softy." 

"Looks like it," Buffy said quietly. 

"It would seem that you have an even bigger part in the scheme of things than you thought," Wesley said to Angel. 

Cordelia was quiet, watching Angel. She, Wesley and Gunn all knew about the day Angel had once again been mortal. For a twenty-four hour period where his heart had beat, sunlight had warmed his skin, and Buffy had been returned to him, the love of his life. She watched him, stared at him with such intensity that he felt it and looked over at her. Interpreting her thoughts, he shook his head slightly, enough that she saw the movement and its meaning, but the rest were left in the dark. She glared at him. 

"So," she said, clearing her throat, and ignoring the death threats in Angel's eyes. "What happens when Angel becomes human? He'll lose his super-strength, right?" 

Giles looked up at her, surprised at her astuteness. Wesley and Gunn both glared at her. Angel

looked relieved that nothing worse had come out of her mouth. 

Buffy turned to her, a curious look on her face. "I guess, so, why?" 

"Well, I mean, if you two are supposed to be battling the worst the Hellmouth can throw at us, how is Angel supposed to do that without his vamp strength?" Cordelia may not have had the courage, or been mean enough, to blurt out her friends' secret, but she wasn't going down without some effort. 

"I hadn't thought about that," Giles said, taking off his glasses. "I guess we'll see to that when it happens." 

Angel threw her another glare and quickly steered the conversation to a safer topic. "That's not important. We need to figure out this spell. Tonight." The others nodded, slowly. 

"So," Buffy said, "what do we do now? Keep researching?" 

Giles nodded. "Precisely. Double our efforts. Look for anything referring to angels, circles, spheres…well, you know the drill I suppose." 

"Tonight, we hit the streets. Beat up Willie the Snitch for a while, find Spike, see who's heard things. We got attacked last night and had to run…the vamps out there, they know. They told me that Angelus was coming," Buffy said. 

"They knew?" Wesley asked, astounded. 

"Yeah," Buffy replied, remembering with a shiver the events of the night before. "We came across what we thought were six vamps about to all-you-can-eat it up on three girls. Turns out the girls were bait. They were waiting for me and Angel, ready to attack." 

"Nine on two? That's not very nice. That usually makes for a cranky Slayer," Xander said. 

"We managed to dust a few of them, and would have taken out the rest, but Angel got us out before it could get worse. The vamps had a small army holed up in a warehouse right next to us. Seriously freaky." 

Willow's eyes were huge. "Guess it's okay you didn't come home then." 

"We were afraid they'd follow us…better to lead them away from you," Angel said. 

"Did they?" Giles asked. 

"No," Buffy answered him. "But, better safe than sorry." 

Anya rolled her eyes, "Right. I'm sure it was a hardship for you two to spend the night together, alone, in that big mansion." 

Buffy and Angel looked appropriately sheepish. Giles cleared his throat. "This may present new problems, but it does provide us with a clue. If the vampires know about the events to come, perhaps this is some sort of prophecy we haven't yet come across. May I suggest we get started?" he asked. 

Giles and Wesley hit the stacks of books and began pulling out volume after volume. As they had hundreds of times before, each person grabbed a book and began scanning through it. 


	10. Help In Unexpected Places

Hours passed, mostly in silence, as the group continued to research, looking for anything that might give them a clue to what the next evening would hold

Hours passed, mostly in silence, as the group continued to research, looking for anything that might give them a clue to what the next evening would hold. In the early afternoon Cordelia and Gunn volunteered to get lunch. As they left, Buffy stood up and stretched. She put back the book she had been leafing through and walked back to her training room. She stretched a few more times, then crossed the room to the punching bag and gave it a few light-hearted fists full. _This feels good,_ she thought, and kicked it. Moments later she was lost, pummeling the bag. 

"You're leading with your right," Angel's voice came from behind her. 

She jumped and turned quickly, her breathing hard. "Just working out the kinks," she said, facing the bag once again. She kicked it, then spun and moved around to the other side of the bag evasively. 

Angel stood there, awkwardly. "You doing okay?" he asked. 

She punched the bag again, ducked as it swung back at her. "Sure…never better," she said offhandedly.

Angel watched her for a moment as she attacked the bag ferociously. After a minute he walked over and stopped the bag from swinging. "Buffy, talk to me." 

She stood in front of him, panting, a gleam of sweat on her brow. "I'm fine, really. Just needed to get away from dusty books and paper cuts for a while." 

"I think it's more than that." 

She reached for a towel and dabbed at her neck and face. "Angel, what do you want from me? Given the situation, I think I'm entitled to be a bit freaked. Two days ago I was living in my normal Buffy-world. Now, you're back in my life, my worst fear is coming true, we have no way to stop it, and tomorrow night one of us is going to die. Cut me some slack, would you?" 

He looked frustrated. "Sorry. I was just afraid that some of the stuff Whistler said might have thrown you." 

"Why would it have? I'm used to not knowing anything about your past. Nothing new there," she said bitterly. 

"So that _is_ it," he said, his attention caught. 

She sighed and sat down on a bench. "Maybe a little of it is. Why didn't you ever tell me about Whistler?" 

"You never mentioned him to me, either." 

"It didn't seem important." 

He stared at her. "Same here." 

"But I want to know." 

Angel crossed the room and sat opposite of her. "That's all you've ever had to do…just ask." 

"It's hard to ask when I had no idea this even happened," she said pointedly. 

He looked away. "I was living in New York…the Powers sent him to contact me, to show me what I could have if chose this path. They never showed me what could happen if I went the other way…didn't have to. What I was then, what I had been, was bad enough," he said, his voice full of self-loathing. Buffy watched him carefully, took his hand. 

"So…you know this part. He took me to your high school in LA…I sat in a car outside and saw you for the first time. Your hair was longer then," he said, fingering the blonde strands that fell over her shoulders. "That night I watched you dust your first vampire. You weren't very good yet, but you got the job done." 

She smiled ruefully, remembering missing the vamps' heart and stabbing him in the stomach the first time. It had gotten easier. She had gotten better. 

"You went home that night. Your mom was upset because you were late and hadn't called. You told your first lie as the Slayer. Then you went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Your parents were arguing in the background. Your eyes filled with tears and I wanted to hold you. To wipe them away." 

"That's nice," she said softly. "Why did that change you? Make you want to do something?" 

"I felt this connection with you. The Powers had led me to you for a reason. I thought it was just to help you, to help me find redemption. I had no idea I would…we would…" 

"Love each other," she finished. 

He nodded, hunched over. "Yeah." 

"And now Whistler says it was supposed to be that way, us together, a team. But not as lovers." 

He looked up at her. "When it came to you…I never stood a chance." 

She smiled at him. "Me either. From the moment you gave me that necklace…outside the Bronze. I knew you were something different." 

He smiled, remembering how she had attacked him, thinking he was following her, which…actually he had been. He had been watching her for a long time, longer than she had known back then. 

"I'd like to know why we're so special," she said. "And why they let us spend so many years apart." 

"Not so far apart," he said softly. 

"Far enough. Seeing you once, maybe twice a year…having to call Cordelia or Wesley to check on you, or to be told when things were bad in LA…I don't like it." 

"We've been through this, Buffy. You know why I left." 

"Does that make it any less painful?" her words weren't angry, but the hurt in her heart was still as strong now as it was then. 

"No, it doesn't," he admitted. 

She sat silent for a moment. "You don't get the only say anymore, Angel. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm twenty-six years old. And I'm tired of my life." 

He said nothing, just stared at his hands. 

"If I win tomorrow night, if you're human, I want things to change. I want what we thought we could never have. I want what we've denied ourselves all these years. I'm done waiting." 

He turned to her, looked into her eyes. She was right. The woman who sat beside him now was not the girl he had watched from afar so many years ago. Gone was the wide-eyed innocence she had possessed when first called. She was harder now, more serious than he had seen her in years. Being the Slayer had made her strong. Loving him had made her cautious. He saw that the guard around her heart was bending, loosening, for him. Slowly he cupped her chin with his hand and tilted her face. He kissed her gently, lovingly. Then the force increased, the power intensified. "No more waiting," he whispered, and continued sending little waves of pleasure throughout her body. 

"Uh, guys?" Willow's voice came from the doorway. They broke apart and stood up quickly. 

"Found something," she said. They followed her quickly. Cordelia and Gunn were back; another box of food sat on the counter next to the cash register. 

"What do we have?" Buffy asked, striding purposefully to the table. 

"Nothing about the spell, I'm afraid, but we did find a reference to the Champion and the Chosen again," Giles said. "A prophecy, actually," he said, handing her the book. 

Buffy read aloud. "'In the final days the Champion and the Chosen will be called upon to lead in the Battle of Ten-cai against the Voloch,'" she said, "What's a Voloch?" 

"It's a they, actually. The Voloch are an ancient army, destroyers of the universe. They reigned for thousands of years in the underworlds, under the leadership of Durge, and eventually broke free in to our world," Wesley told them. 

"Does it say you win? What stopped them before?" Willow asked. 

"Ancient magics," Anya spoke up. "I was there," she explained off their surprised looks. 

"Yes, ancient magics," Wesley said, picking up the book and scanning it. "The Rumani Elders worked their most powerful spells to push the armies back into Hell." 

Angel's eyes widened. "Rumani? Gypsies?" 

Anya nodded. "The Rumani have been around for hundreds of years. Their spells are some of the first documented. Really strong magics, obviously, to push armies back into Hell. They never called on me much…what with being able to exact their own revenge and all." 

"The same Rumani who cursed you?" Buffy asked Angel. 

He nodded. "They were around way before my time. When is this battle supposed to take place?" he asked Giles. 

Giles took the book from Wesley. "It doesn't really say. It could be tomorrow, it could be fifty years from now. It says the 'final days'…perhaps that's an indication of Armageddon." 

"The End of Days," Angel said, realized. 

"What?" Buffy asked. 

"The End of Days. The Oracles told me, long ago, that the End of Days has begun. Warriors will flood our dimension, more and more coming, never ending." 

"When did they tell you this?" Buffy asked, her memory stirring. She stopped, stood still as a voice filled her head. _What will happen to the Slayer?…What happens to all mortal beings…albeit sooner for her…_ She shook her head, pushing the voice out of her mind, and turned back to Angel. 

Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley exchanged glances, knowing the answer. No one spoke. 

"Years ago." 

"So the End of Days has begun?" Giles asked. 

"Apparently," Angel said, avoiding Buffy's eyes. 

"Doesn't seem so different to me," Xander said. 

"Why didn't someone tell me this?" Giles demanded. "This gives us a whole new realm of things to look for in our research!" 

"Giles, it's okay," Buffy said, still shaken by the voice that had sounded in her mind. "What's the End of Days? Is it exactly what it sounds like?" 

Wesley cleared his throat. "In a way, yes. It's the mark of the final countdown. To the End of Days. No one knows how long it might last. It could be ten years, a thousand, ten-thousand." 

"How long ago was it that they told you this?" she said, turning to Angel. 

"About six years." 

"You've known for six years!" she cried. Rolling her eyes she turned away from him. "Fine, not the point right now. Wesley, what happens when the End of Days…ends?" 

"Again, no one knows. Very little is written. Some say it's the biblical Revelations…the end of the world. Some say it's the end of dimensional barriers, worlds bleeding into each other, mixing. Still others think it might be the end of the demon worlds all together, which is why demons would flock here, to try and win the battle, fight anyone who might try to bring the End of Days forth." 

"Fun," Oz said. "I take door number three." 

"Angel, Wesley, why didn't anyone tell us about this? I mean, obviously, you all knew," Willow asked. 

The four from LA exchanged glances. "It…skipped our minds?" Cordelia offered weakly. 

"Not buying it," Buffy said tersely. She looked to Angel for answers. He offered her none. She stared at him, disbelieving that he couldn't provide her with an explanation. 

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" 

He looked at her uncomfortably. "I can't."

"Why? Would it help if I said 'please'?" she asked sarcastically. 

"Buffy, I can't. Tomorrow night I'm willing to tell you anything you've ever wanted to know, but right now I can't. Don't ask me to," he said firmly. 

She took a step towards him. "You told me, back there in that room, not a half hour ago, that if I ever wanted to know anything about you all I had to do was ask," she said, her voice low, hurting. 

He glared at her, knowing what she said was true, but not wavering. "Not this." 

Her eyes never left his face, and he saw the raw hurt fill them. She stepped back from him. "Fine. Tomorrow night," she said quietly, coldly. 

"Secrets don't make fri-ends," a voice singsonged from behind them. They turned suddenly to see Spike standing at the back of the shop. 

"Don't vampires sleep during the day anymore?" Xander asked, looking around for confirmation. 

"Tsk tsk, now, Harris. I expect a little better treatment for someone who's got some information on your little conundrum here," Spike said, sidling up to the counter and poking through the box of food that remained untouched. 

"What information?" Willow asked. 

Spike glanced at her. "Good stuff. Valuable to someone in a losing your soul situation. But it's got a price," he said, pulling a bag of blood from the box. He went to bite into it and Angel grabbed it. 

"Hey! Not _my_ price! I'm clean here. I'm _helping,_ for the love of God." 

"So help already," Buffy said threateningly. 

Spike rolled his eyes. "Lay off Slayer. Just because Soul-boy here isn't forthcoming with the information doesn't mean Spike's gonna leave you high and dry." 

She cocked her head and raised her eyebrows impatiently. 

"Right, get on with it," Spike said, jumping onto the counter top. "Does the word Codex mean anything to you?" 

Cordelia glanced sideways at him. "Feminine hygiene products?" she asked. 

Spike rolled his eyes. "God, it's good you're a looker. Pergamum Codex, _Co-Dex_," he enunciated for her. 

Buffy shook her head, but Angel, Wesley and Giles looked curious. "The Codex? The prophecy book on the Slayer?" Giles asked and Spike nodded. "But I have it. Angel, had it actually, gave it to me years ago." 

"And how complete is that book, mate?" Spike asked. 

Giles looked confused. "Complete?" 

"Exactly. Did you know," he said, winding up, "that when the book was lost it was divided in two? You have the first half." 

"The first half…?" Giles said, wondrously. 

"What does the second half contain?" Wesley asked. 

Spike's eyes glittered. "Don't know. But I'm willing to bet it has some answers to this little poser though." 

"Where?" Angel asked. 

"Not far. We can go at sundown," Spike said, plucking the blood bag from Angel's hand. He ripped into it and picked up a 'Have You Hugged Your Wiccan Today?' mug. 

"We?" Angel asked. 

Spike took a drink and looked at Angel over the lip of the mug. "Yeah, _we_. You may have a problem with me, but the Slayer and her Scoobies don't." 

"I wouldn't go that far," Xander said. 

Spike ignored him. "It's been a good long while since you've had to fight side-by-side with them, hasn't it?" he goaded Angel. "Slayer's a little stronger, Red's a bit more powerful. And Spike's a new man. Part of the inner sanctum now. Took your place." 

Buffy stepped in between Angel and Spike. "Shut up," she said to the bleached vampire. "Where is this book? And how do you know about it?" 

"Word's out about Angelus' revival. I'm really out of the loop…they knew before I did. Apparently some bloke's had the book for years. He let it be known, got everyone together to prepare, which begs the conclusion that it mentions the big showdown tomorrow night. Angelus is supposed to be their leader once the big presto-chango occurs. Vamps aren't exactly known for their hush-hush abilities. Big talkers down at Willie's." 

"Where's the book?" Angel asked. 

"Few blocks from here, by that warehouse on Orchard." 

Buffy and Angel exchanged a glance. "Where we got attacked last night," she realized. 

"How many vamps?" Angel asked. 

Spike actually looked nervous for a moment. "All of them," he said. "Every one in town. More pouring in as we speak." 

The group stood, stunned. "Is this the battle? Of Ten-cai?" Willow asked. 

Angel shook his head. "I don't think so." 

"Either way, this is bad," Buffy said, looking slightly shaken. "Everyone, you're staying in one place tonight. Safety in numbers. My house. Vamps can't get in there uninvited." 

"Oh, goodie. A slumber party. Only if you girls promise to wear your nighties and high heels…and have pillow fights," Xander said. 

Cordelia smacked him across the head, "What do we do now?" she asked, not missing a beat. 

"Keep researching. I'm going to look for the book," Buffy said. 

"Buffy, no. It's not dark yet. You can't go alone," Angel said, putting his hand on her arm to stop her. "I'm guessing if this guy is spreading the word about me, asking him politely for the book isn't going to work." 

She looked to the window, saw the sunlight. "Right. Still a few more hours to go." 

"So we keep researching," Willow said, taking charge. "Now we can cross-reference. We have two laptops. Oz, start checking the search engines for anything that references Ten-cai and Buffy and Angel. I'll look on the Net for the End of Days and Voloch." 

"Everyone else, back to the books," Giles said wearily. 

"Spike, can you go back out and keep your ear to the ground?" Buffy asked. He nodded, throwing a scorning smile at Angel. 

"'Course, pet," he said, and walked to the back door, giving Angel a pat on the shoulder. "Good to have you back," he said, mockingly. 

"Anyone mind if I actually eat some of the food we brought back?" Gunn asked. 

Lunch was eaten, research resumed. Eventually, darkness fell. 


	11. Pacts With Old Friends

The moment the sun fell beneath the horizon Buffy and Angel began loading up on weapons

The moment the sun fell beneath the horizon Buffy and Angel began loading up on weapons. Gunn stood up and grabbed a crossbow off the table and stuck a stake in his back pocket. Willow followed suit, putting a cross around her neck. 

Buffy stared at them. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked them. 

"Getting ready to go hunt," Gunn said, loading the crossbow. 

"I don't think so," she said. 

Gunn raised his eyebrows at her. "I do," he said. "No way I'm letting you two go out there alone. Besides, I figure if the vamps are waiting for Angel's big homecoming party tomorrow night, they aren't going want to get in the mix tonight." 

"Gunn's right, Buffy. We're not letting you go alone. I can help, you know, with magic and stuff," Willow said. 

Buffy glanced at Angel for his take on this. He shrugged. "We're only doing re-con. Should be safe enough." 

"Did you forget where we are? Hel-lo?! Hellmouth? Nothing is ever safe when it should be," Buffy cried. 

Willow raised her eyebrows in an I-told-you-so manner. "Resolve face," she said, pointing to her set jaw. 

Buffy rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "Someday I'm going to learn not to let you get away with that resolve face thing." 

Xander, Cordelia, Oz and the rest were also loading up on weaponry. "Okay, look," Buffy said. "I appreciate that everyone wants to patrol tonight, but I think that ten of us out there--" 

"Eleven," Spike said, walking in from the front door this time. 

Buffy glanced at him. "_Eleven_ of us will be just a bit too obvious, don't you think?" 

"No, I _don't_ think…that," Xander said. "As I see it, you, Spike and Angel will be looking for this book. You already know there's a warehouse full of vamps right around the corner just waiting for Angel's big event. You need backup. Me, Anya, Cordy and Oz will check out the warehouse, see what the party situation is. Willow, you, Giles and Wesley and Gunn will go with them and guard the house, make sure this guy doesn't try anything funny." 

Everyone looked surprised. "Since when did you get all Cloak and Dagger?" Buffy asked him. 

He grinned nervously. "I don't know. But it sounded good, didn't it?" 

Giving in, she nodded. "Fine. That's the plan then. But _be careful._ We don't know what we're messing with here." 

"Are we ready then?" Spike asked wearily, "or should we bicker some more first?" 

"Any news?" Angel asked him. 

Spike shook his head. "Nah, same ole same ole. Angelus is going to rise, best night of the year, big kegger afterwards…you know." 

"Wonderful," Angel said, and shrugged into his coat. "And the book?" 

"Safe and sound, right where I told you it'd be," Spike said, pulling out a cigarette. 

Angel nodded curtly. "We're gone," he said to the group. 

They exited the shop, each laden with weapons. Willow began to chant. "Protection spell," Oz explained when Cordy looked nervous. 

"Ah," she said. "Of course. Those always work so well." 

"Listen," Buffy interrupted. "This is an in-and-out situation. No heroics. If there's big trouble, come get us. Afterwards we head back to my house. If it's safe, we can go back to the shop later, but I want to make sure there are no attacks tonight. My house is the only place vamps can't get in uninvited." 

Minutes later they rounded a corner, and stood across from the alley where Buffy and Angel had been attacked the night before. She took a deep breath. "Where's the house?" she asked Spike. 

"Other side…around the corner," he said, pointing down the street. 

"Ok…let's go. You guys, be careful," she told them again. Xander, Cordelia, Anya and Oz took off for the warehouse as the rest followed Spike. 

"Here it is," Spike said moments later. 

Buffy turned to Giles, Wesley and Gunn. "We might have to…entice him. Don't worry if you hear struggle. Worry if you don't." 

They nodded. "We'll be right outside," Giles said. 

"Shall we knock on the door like good girls and boys?" Spike asked as his face morphed into full-on vamp mode. 

"I vote we crash," Angel said lightly, game face already on, and kicked the door in. Buffy rushed in ahead of them to find an old man sitting in an armchair, reading. He looked up suddenly and recoiled upon recognizing her and her companions. 

"So, what kind of demon are you?" Buffy asked casually, strolling around the room. 

"Demon?" the man said timidly. 

"Well, see, my friends here couldn't come in if you were human. You know, vampires…have to be invited, that whole spiel. But it's different if a demon owns the place…then that deal's null and void. So, again, what kind of demon are you?" 

He ignored her. "What do you want?" 

"The second half of the Codex," Angel growled. 

"What makes you think I have it?" the man said defiantly. 

"The fact that you know it exists helps me out," Spike said, taking a step forward. 

The man stared at them blankly. Suddenly he hissed. "Fools," he whispered and rushed at them. 

Buffy bent at the waist and flipped him over onto his back. Angel grabbed his arms and held him, when two more arms appeared from beneath the old man's shirt. The free arms punched him in the gut, scratched at his flesh. With a kick the old man was loose and sprang to his feet with unnatural ability. 

"Oh no you don't," Spike said, grabbing the rug the man stood on and yanking it out from underneath him. The man's legs flew out from beneath him and once again he landed on his back. "Can't leave the party so soon. We haven't even eaten yet," he said, licking his lips. 

A reptilian hiss escaped the old man's lips as he ran at Spike with all four arms outstretched in front of him. Buffy jumped onto the coffee table in front of him and leaped to the chandelier, hanging from it. The motion swung her in a circle and she moved around to hit the old man dead on with her feet. He was thrown backward across the room and landed with a sickly thud. Before he could react the three of them were upon him, weapons steadied, forcing him to keep still on the floor. 

"It matters not if you obtain the Codex," the man growled. "It can do you no good. It will happen, Angelus will rise, tomorrow night." He turned to Angel. "Why do you not embrace this, Master?" 

Angel ignored him. "Where's the book?" 

The old man smiled at him. "You'll have to kill me." 

Buffy cocked her head. "You have no idea how much of a problem that's not." 

His eyes shifted to her. "Stupid girl. So you seek your future do you? The prophecies of the Slayer that the Codex contains? Are you sure you want to know? Can you live with the knowledge of how you will die?" 

Buffy faltered for a split second but kept her crossbow leveled at the man's heart. "Just because you _look_ human doesn't mean I can't kill you. And enjoy it," she told him. 

Angel snapped and reached out for the old man. Grabbing him by the collar of his robe he jerked the man standing. He leaned in, his face inches from the old man's. "You know me. You know Angelus. You know what I'm capable of. _Produce the book._" 

Fear entered the old man's eyes. He glanced at Buffy. She smiled at him sweetly. He suddenly returned her smile. "This is a test. When Angelus rises, he will remember my fealty. He will honor me, I will be in his good graces. Sit at his right hand. And what a righteous day it will be! Torment will rain down on all that do not worship him. Blood will be spilled in his name. He will--" 

"Oh bloody hell," Spike said, and stabbed the man through the heart. The man gasped with pain and jerked, then settled onto the ground, dead. "Angelus would eat your heart, you simpering sod," he said to the body, "and dance a jig on your entrails." 

Buffy and Angel threw him a look. "What?" Spike asked innocently. They looked back at each other and shrugged. 

"Whatever," Buffy said. "Let's find the book. Get Giles and the others," she told Angel. 

"Yes, run along," Spike taunted, leaning in close so Buffy wouldn't hear. "I'll stay here with the missus." 

Angel growled. "Don't test me, _William_," he said, heading to the door. He returned moments later with Giles, Willow, Gunn and Wesley. They grimaced at the sight of the old man. 

"Buffy…you killed this man?" 

"Nope, Spike did," she said, searching the bookshelves that lined the living room. 

Giles stared at her. "He's not human," Angel informed him. "Don't worry." 

Giles looked relieved. "Right, good. Well, ah, find the book, shall we?" 

"Um, perhaps someone should get the others?" Wesley suggested. "It would make the search go more quickly." 

Angel nodded. "I'll go. Spike will come with me." 

"Need me to protect you now, do you?" 

Angel glared. "Go," he ordered and grabbed Spike's arm hauling him to the door. 

"Hey! Wait a bloody minute! Hands off the fine-Italian," he shouted, dusting off his jacket as Angel strode purposefully away from the house. 

"Shut up. I need to talk to you," Angel growled. 

Spike raised his eyebrows and lit a cigarette. "Do you now? What's the topic?" 

"Tomorrow night. I need you to be there." 

Spike glanced at him sideways. "Oh, ever your servant," he said, bowing low. "Why on earth would I want to be there? I'm not one of the all-important ten, remember?" He took out a cigarette, lit it. 

Angel looked at him, his eyes hard and cold. "Buffy and I are going to fight to the death. I need you to kill me if she fails." 

Spike's eyes flew open. "Come again?" 

"If Angelus defeats her, you have to be there, ready to kill me instantly. You can't hesitate, you can't be off a beat. You have to strike me down before I can hurt anyone." 

"Woah, mate. Think about this. You could be recursed. Red, she did it before…and she's stronger now, more powerful. You don't have to die." 

"If I kill Buffy, I don't want to live." 

For once, Spike kept his mouth shut. Slowly he nodded. "Yeah, right," he said only slightly disgusted. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair. "The Slayer's not going to lose, you know." 

"We don't know that. I know how strong she is, but this…it's thrown her. She might be off her game. I can't take the chance. Everyone will be there. I've told them to come armed, but I don't know what's going to happen." Angel crossed his arms over his chest, completely serious. "This spell, whatever it is, it might have after-effects. They could be dazed. It could ultimately get them killed. I need someone on the outside, someone strong. S omeone who knows how I fight." 

Spike studied him as he took a drag from his cigarette, said nothing. 

Angel looked at him expectantly. "Well? What's it going to be?" 

Spike threw the cigarette to the street and ground it out with his shoe. He stepped close to Angel, "She's going to _kick your ass,_" he hissed, nose to nose with the elder vampire. He stepped back. "But if she doesn't…I'm going to. _Sire_," he said, reverently. 

Angel nodded curtly. "Thank you," he said softly. The two vampires, grandfather and grandson, shared a moment of silence. Then Spike clapped his hands together. 

"That settled, shall we gather the rest of the Get-Along Gang?" he asked. Angel nodded. Spike reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cigarettes. He offered the pack to Angel. "You look like you could use one of these." 

Angel hesitated, then took one. "Yeah," he said and pulled one from the soft-pack. Lighting it, they walked towards the warehouse. 

*** 

Angel and Spike found the others and led them back to the house where the search for the Codex was in full swing. "I'm not worried about housekeeping," Buffy said, "let's just find it and get out of here." 

"What did you find at the warehouse?" Giles asked. 

"Vamps, lots of them." Xander told them. "Maybe a hundred." 

Buffy's eyes bulged. "Oh goody," she said wryly. "That's a few too many to take on all at once." 

"And may I answer that with a hardy, hardy thank you," he said to her. He turned to Angel. "Everyone's come out for your big day." 

"And surprisingly, I'm not touched," Angel said off hand, rifling through some desk drawers. 

"This is going to take forever," Cordelia moaned, looking around at the vast household. 

"Let me," Willow said stepping to the middle of the room. She closed her eyes. When she reopened them her eyes were black with the power of dark magic. "Marchon, seer of sights, guide us in our noble quest. Remove the cloak that guards the secrets. Bring forth that which we seek. Illuminate!" she commanded. "Illuminate!" 

The room began to hum and a painting on the wall rattled violently. It flew from the wall and landed, broken, by the opposite wall. Behind the painting was a wall safe. 

"Solid," Gunn said. "I thought people only had these things in the movies." 

"It's a combination lock," Wesley said, studying the metal door. "It will take some time to open." 

"We don't have time," Buffy said crossing the room. She grabbed the door handle and pulled. The hinges broke and the door fell to her feet. She reached in and removed the book. "Found it," she said, and handed the book to Giles. 

"And if the Slayer thing gets stale, you've got an upper hand in the high-stakes field of robbery," Oz said to Buffy. He turned to Willow, whose features had returned to normal the moment the painting hit the ground. "The eye thing is new," he said to her. 

"A girl likes to change her looks sometimes," she bantered. "What's in the book?" 

Giles was quickly scanning through the pages. "Fascinating," he said, "It mentions the Champion and the Chosen, the battle of Ten-cai." 

"Does it mention tomorrow night? Flip to the index," Buffy said impatiently. 

"There's no index—oh, right…sarcasm," Giles said, giving her a look. "It does say that--" he was abruptly cut off by Spike who was looking out the window. 

"Um, children…I think it's time we give that running for our lives thing a try." 

"Why?" Angel asked moving to the window. "Oh," he said as he peered out. Turning to the others he shouted. "Run!" 

No one hesitated. Years of working together had taught them that "Run!" was a command to be followed, not questioned. They bolted for the back of the house just as the front door flew open and vampires began flooding the room. 

"I think they decided to bring the party to us," Spike said, grabbing Anya and hauling her out into the backyard. 

"Spike! Take them!" Buffy shouted, indicating Anya and Xander who were closest to him. "My house, now!" 

Angel followed suit by herding Willow, Oz and Wesley with him, taking off in a different direction. 

Buffy watched him go, knowing her friends and would be safe with him. "Giles! Book!" she shouted. He tossed her the book and she shoved it in her jacket pocket. Gunn and Cordelia passed her, running into the street. They stopped abruptly as four vampires closed in on them. They immediately pulled out stakes and prepared for battle. Buffy rushed past them and leaped at two of the vamps, tackling them to the ground. "We didn't crash your party, how come you have to make trouble with ours?" she taunted them and staked the one on her right. 

The one on her left grabbed her arm and swung her into the side of a dumpster. She recoiled and dropped to the ground, kicking out with one leg, tripping the oncoming vamp. Quickly she glanced at her friends and after realizing that Giles was in full-Ripper mode with vamp number three, and Cordy and Gunn were battling the fourth, she turned back to her attacker. 

The vamp had scrambled to his feet and was lunging for her. She rolled to the side as he landed next to her. Rolling back she plunged her stake into his back. Jumping to her feet she ran to Giles. "Help them!" she shouted, taking over the fight for him. Moments later it was over, all four vamps dusted. 

"Run, keep going. We don't know how many more of them there are!" Buffy yelled. 

"Yeah we do! Four less than there were before…that leaves us with oh, what, 90 something?" Gunn shouted back to her as they took off on foot for Buffy's house. They ran through the streets of Sunnydale as fast as they could. Rounding the corner of Revello, Buffy's street, they saw Xander, Spike and Anya bolting inside the house and slamming the door. 

Cordelia hit the front steps first. "Open the door! Open the door!" she screamed. The door swung open and they flew inside. 

Buffy slammed the door shut. "They can't get us now," she said as she leaned against the door to catch her breath. 

"Where's Willow and the rest?" Xander asked, hunched over, panting. 

"They'll be here. Angel took them," Buffy answered him, peering through the window. "I doubt they'll hurt him, what with him being their soon-to-be leader and all." 

"Yeah, well, to tell you the truth, it's not Angel I'm worried about," Xander said. 

"I know," she said, giving him a small smile of understanding. She turned back to the window. "There they are, open the door!" she called loudly to the front hall. Giles opened the door and Willow ran inside, quickly followed by Oz, Angel, and a hyperventilating Wesley. 

"I told you to use that treadmill," Cordelia said, helping him to a chair. The rest followed them, collapsing into chairs and onto the floor. 

"Is everyone all right?" Giles asked from his position on the couch. Answers were given in the forms of nods and slight grunts as they caught their breath. 

Angel took a seat next to Buffy. "Are you okay?" he asked, kissing her forehead. 

She nodded. "Yeah, you?" 

"Got my run in for the night at least." 

"We got the book," she said, reaching into her jacket pocket and retrieving it. Everyone sat up and began to pay attention. Buffy and Angel opened the Codex and began to read. 

*** 

The breeze lifted her hair as she stood on a hillside, the moon bright overhead, almost full. She watched them, crowded in the living room, begin to interpret the Codex. Though miles away from that room she had perfect sight and hearing and listened now as they made their discoveries. Turning to the old woman beside her, she smiled. "They have the Codex." 

The old woman nodded. "So they do." 

"This is good. They're so close." 

A man, middle-aged, stepped up beside them and looked over the city. "It is not enough. The book is only a tool. It is what they do with it that matters." 

The younger woman looked back into the room. "They're smart. They will figure it out." 

The man glanced at her. "Do not get your hopes up just yet, Janna. They have quite a ways to go." 


	12. The Second Half Of My Soul

Buffy and Angel sat together on the love seat in her living room, the Codex between them

Buffy and Angel sat together on the love seat in her living room, the Codex between them. Their friends, though exhausted, sat before them, waiting to hear what the book had to tell. 

"This thing sure doesn't read easy," Buffy murmured. "Maybe because it's in Latin?" she said brightly and passed the book to Angel. 

"Here," Angel said, pointing to a part of the text. "This talks about the Chosen and the Champion…and," he scanned down the page, then looked up at their audience, "…everyone else." 

Xander sat up. "We're in there? Really? Cool! What does it say? Any mention of lottery numbers?" 

Angel ignored him. "Ok…but I'm paraphrasing here, 'What is destined to be will be undone by love. A—a soul will fall, slain by its other half, only to return as lost as it left." 

"What?" Cordelia asked impertinently. "Is there a Cliff Notes version to this thing?" 

"You're the one who said we should get the book where everything's, air-quote, 'Written,'" Xander reminded her. 

Angel scanned the page, trying to decipher the language. "'The halves will be separate once again until the seventh moon of the seventh year. In their hands does destiny lay.'" 

"Where's the part about us?" Anya asked. 

"'The Slayer, the Chosen, will assemble with the Champion. They together will call on the eight, combined to form the ten. The witch, the wolf, the tin-man, the weapon…" 

"The visionary, the voyeur, the father, yadda yadda yadda. We know. Skip ahead," Cordy said as she lounged on the couch. 

"It's 'the one who watches,' thank you," Wesley snipped. 

"Tomato, tom-ah-to," she said, rolling her eyes. 

"'They will be guided by the Powers and will not know their own will. Once inside, the battle will begin. The Chosen against the Champion. The angel versus the hunter. The devil versus the god.'" 

Willow raised her hand. "Huh?" she asked. 

"Second that," Gunn called from the couch. 

"Inside what?" Anya asked. 

Giles held out his hand. "May I?" he asked Angel, who handed him the book. Giles quickly scanned the passages Angel had read aloud. 

"Undone by love…" Giles mused. "There's really no guess work involved in that…obviously, it's referring to you two," he said, indicating Buffy and Angel. "'Slain by the other half…'" 

"I'm the other half of Angel?" Buffy asked. 

"I'm not sure. It could mean Angelus versus Angel," he mused. Angelus is the other half of Angel…Angelus killed Angel, in a sense, when he came forth." 

"No," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Angel was always there. He just… couldn't get out." She took his hand supportively. 

Giles gave her a half-smile. "Yes, well…'the soul returned as lost as it left.'" 

"When I was returned from Hell, I didn't know why I had been spared. What my purpose was," Angel said. 

"The next part," Wesley spoke up as he paced the floor. "Doesn't it say the souls are separate until the seventh moon of the seventh year? This is the seventh year of the new millennium." 

"But it's not the seventh full moon. It's only February," Oz said. 

"Yes, but it is the seventh moon if you look at it in cycles…there are four phases of the moon each month. Four last month, and tomorrow marks the third for this month. Seven," Wesley told him. 

"Huh. Moon math," Oz said. 

"So we're three for three on prophecies," Gunn said. "Angel's turned, undoing destiny, he's killed and returned from Hell, and now we're all meeting together on the sevens." 

"'They will not know their own will,'" Giles read aloud. 

"That's the part I'm not liking," Buffy said. "I like being very familiar with my will." 

"'Once inside the battle will begin,'" Giles continued to read. "My best guess is that this refers to the circle Cordelia saw us form in her vision." 

"What does it mean?" Willow asked. 

"I have no idea," Giles said. "I'd like, of course, to read into this further. It would be helpful if we had our research tools." 

"They're all back at the shop. It's not safe for any of us to go out there, including Spike. They've seen him now. They know he's with us," Buffy said. 

"Plus the fact that there are a hundred vamps running around out there with pictures of us on the sides of their milk cartons," Xander said wryly. 

"We have to go," Angel said, standing. "Spike, me, Buffy. Just us three. No arguments this time," he said when Gunn began to protest. 

"Angel's right," Wesley said, "as much as I hate to admit it, we'd do more harm than good if we tried to leave before daybreak. But we need our supplies. Books, the computers." 

"When?" Anya asked. 

"Now," Buffy said, standing next to Angel. "We can't waste anymore time. We're running out of time." She turned to Spike. "You coming?" He nodded, surprisingly quiet since they had arrived at the house. 

"I'm in. It's dark. Stick to the sewers. No vamp's gonna be hanging around there if they can walk the streets freely." 

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Let's go." She turned to the others. "No one leaves this house. We'll be back soon." 

Giles had been madly scribbling on a piece of paper. He handed it now to Angel. "Bring these texts if you can. They should be all we need. I hope." 

Angel took the list. "Keep reading," he said. 

Minutes later the three walked out into the night and quickly disappeared into the sewers of Sunnydale.

*** 

The trip to the shop was uneventful. As they approached the manhole leading to the alley behind the shop, Buffy cautioned them. "They may have gone to the shop, thinking we'd try to return there." 

"Then I go first," Spike said and climbed the ladder. "Stay put until I tell you it's clear." 

Buffy couldn't hide the surprise from her face as Spike launched himself up and onto the surface. Angel hid a smile of relief as he watched his grandson go. 

"All clear," he said, appearing above them. They climbed up and entered the shop. 

"Quickly," Angel said, gathering books. Buffy grabbed the laptops and their cords, placing them inside the bag she had grabbed at the last minute. 

Spike gathered the spell ingredients Willow had given him, then helped Angel and Buffy with the books. They were in and out in less than ten minutes. 

The trip back to the house was a bit slower as they carried heavy books and computer equipment with them. Spike walked a bit ahead of them, on the premise of being the lookout. 

"So are you going to tell me what that was all about earlier?" she asked him. 

"What do you mean?" he said, knowing exactly what she was referring to. 

"Why didn't you tell me about the End of Days?" 

Angel was silent. "Buffy," he said finally, "there are some things that I need to tell you, but now isn't the time. I need you to trust me. Tomorrow night, when it's over, I'll tell you anything you want to know. But I can't now." 

"Why?" she asked, hurt creeping back into her voice. 

"There are things that I've done that I'm not sure you'll understand right away." 

"But it's okay for Cordelia and Gunn and Wesley to know." 

He hesitated. "They're my friends." 

"I see," she said, her voice small. 

"And your opinion means more to me than theirs does. I could take it if they judged me, but not you." 

She shifted the books in her arms and stopped walking. "Tomorrow night," she said, looking to his eyes, seeking confirmation. 

He stopped next to her. "I swear." 

"What if I don't make it?" 

"You will," he said fiercely. 

Seeing that he wouldn't reveal anything else she gave in. "Fine," she said and continued walking. 

Spike came back quickly around the bend. "Heads up, kids," he said, and threw his books to the ground. Two vampires came running out of the dark and Spike attacked. Buffy and Angel dropped their loads and joined him in the action. Together they quickly dusted the vampires and turned back to the collect the books. 

"Quickly, quickly. Confined spaces aren't the best for fighting," Spike said as they rushed to gather their supplies. Noise sounded from the opposite direction and he looked up to see several more vampires heading their way. "Oh, crap," he muttered to himself, then shouted "Time to go!" to Buffy and Angel. They looked down the tunnel and saw the vampires gaining on them. They ran quickly down the pipes to the manhole closest to Buffy's house. 

"There's no way we can get all this stuff out of here before they reach us." 

"Never mind that. Go, up top. I'll pass the books to you. Get to the house," Spike said, lifting her onto the ladder. 

Buffy threw a glance at Angel. "Go," Spike told him. "She can't carry all this alone." Angel nodded and shimmied up the ladder. Spike tossed the books up to them, handing them the last one as the vampires reached him. 

Above, Buffy and Angel raced to the house. Buffy burst through the door and threw the books onto the floor, then whipped around and ran back outside towards the sewer. 

"We have to help him!" she shouted and dove headfirst down the manhole. 

__

That's not even a question, Angel thought. _Of course they wouldn't leave him there to die._ But as he stood there on the surface, watching her run to help Spike, it hit him. Spike, the vampire that had tried to kill her and her friends countless times. Spike, who had now taken his place as the brute strength in the Scooby gang. She hadn't even hesitated, hadn't waited for him to follow. She had just gone. Jumped in headfirst to save a friend. _You knew about this,_ Angel told himself. _You left. It's natural. Spike's strong, this is a good thing. He can protect her...them,_ he corrected himself. He stared down at the open manhole. _But I'm back now,_ he thought, and jumped down. 

Hitting the bottom he quickly assessed the situation. Five vamps, Buffy battling two, Spike dealing with three. Two more heading full speed towards them. Angel's face morphed and he took on the two newcomers. He ducked the punches of the first vamp and returned with two of his own. The vampire was thrown backward and the second took the opportunity to rush in. Angel grabbed him by his shirt and spun him around, crashing him into the sewer walls. They were face to face when suddenly the vampire hissed, shocked, "Angelus!" and dropped his hands to his sides. 

"Stop!" he shouted to the other. Angel continued to hold him against the wall, ready to pummel him. He spared a glance to the other, who had backed down immediately. 

"Forgive me, Master, we did not know it was you," he said reverently. 

Angel didn't miss a beat. "Let my friends go…the Slayer, when I turn, she's mine," he lied. 

The vampire nodded quickly and called out to the others, still battling Spike and Buffy, though it was now only two against two, "Stop!" The vampires looked up, a mistake, as Spike and Buffy dusted them at the same time. 

"Too late for them. Now go," Angel said fiercely. "Tell your friends that the Slayer and her group are not to be harmed until I give the order," he said, his voice a low growl. 

The vampire looked terrified. Angel released him and he and his friend took off down the pipes. 

"What was that all about?" Buffy asked, brushing herself off. 

Spike walked up beside her. "Let me guess. They recognized the lord and master, didn't they?" 

Angel grunted. "Something like that." 

"Well, whatever. Let's go," Buffy said. "Sewers…not my favorite hang-out." 

"That was an awesome dive, there, love," Spike said, climbing up to the street. "The way you leaped through the manhole then rolled to the ground? Perfect ten." 

Buffy smiled. "One of my better entrances," she agreed. "Second only to the flying leap through the stained glass window at St. Martin's." 

Spike nodded, remembering. He glanced at Angel. "That was great," he said enthusiastically, placing a hand on her back, "you looked like the bloody Messiah, sun streaming in behind you, vamps poofing all over the place." 

"You're lucky you didn't get poofed yourself," she grinned. "Never thought I'd see you in a confession booth." 

"Blocked the sun, didn't it?" he paused. "Anyway, good timing back there," he said, slightly embarrassed. 

She knew this was Spike's way of thanking her for coming to his aid. "You weren't too shabby yourself. When you rolled that guy over my back and staked him through the side? Very sleek," she added. 

Angel quietly seethed as they walked up to the house. Spike turned to Buffy, an odd look on his face. "What?" she asked. 

He leaned in close to her face, intimately, then moved smoothly to the side and plucked a leaf from her hair. It was enough. Angel stormed into the house. Buffy looked at Spike, perplexed. Spike gave her a wink. "Thank me later," he said, leaving Buffy on the front porch, as confused as ever. 

She shrugged and walked into the house. 

"Everything okay?" Willow asked, rushing to her side. 

Angel moved in and grabbed Buffy's arm, pulling her up the stairs. "We talk, now," he growled. 

"Guess not," Anya said to Willow as they watched Buffy be virtually dragged up to her bedroom. 

"Hey! Hey! He can't do that!" Xander cried, running to the bottom of the stairs. 

Spike put an arm out, blocking Xander's way. "Let them be. Angel's just a bit fired up. They're just going to," he cast an eye up the stairs as a door slammed shut, "work some things out." 


	13. The Triumphant

Angel dragged Buffy into the bedroom and slammed the door

Angel dragged Buffy into the bedroom and slammed the door. She gaped at him, rubbing her arm from where his fingers had dug into it. "What the hell are you doing?" she shouted at him. 

Angel paced. "I can take that he's here, helping you. I can understand that. He's strong, he's got connections underground. But the touching. If he ever touches you like that again, so help me, I'll kill him," he growled. 

Buffy stared at him. _"What?"_

"Oh, please," he spat at her, "'Oh, great job down there, way to stake that vampire, remember that time?'" he mimicked. 

Buffy continued to stare at him. 

"And you just jumped in the sewer, head first, without even checking out the situation," he said, continuing to walk around the room. "And then he touched you. Leaned in close," he stopped pacing and walked to her, bracing her shoulders with his hands, "he doesn't touch you anymore," he ordered. 

Buffy stared at him for a moment. "This is about Spike," she said slowly, understanding. 

Angel stared at her dumbly. "Yeah, it's about Spike!" he cried. 

Slowly a smile played across her lips. She tried, unsuccessfully, to hide it. The smile soon led to chuckling, which progressed into full blown laughter. 

It was Angel's turn to stare at her. "This is funny to you. Okay, I can see how—no, actually, I don't see how." 

Her laughter slowed. "You're jealous…of _Spike?"_

"I'm not jealous!" he cried defensively. 

"Are so," she taunted, grinning. 

"Am not," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

She rolled her eyes. "Right. You're not jealous. That's why you dragged me to my bedroom, in front of everyone, I might add, and proceeded to make a speech that leaves me fully expecting the men in little white coats to be arriving any minute now." 

Angel said nothing. 

"Spike's just a friend, Angel," she told him, leaning back against her nightstand. "He's not your replacement. Not in any way. He's useful, and seems to keep showing up, so we let him work with us. Yes," she said, taking a breath, "he's proven to be an asset more than once, but he's still as big a pain in the ass as ever. But ever since Dawn…he's different, too. Like he feels guilty. She was his favorite." 

Angel continued to say nothing, just stared at the floor, unconvinced and angry. 

"I mean, so he kissed me that one time…" she said, and his head whipped up. "Kidding," she said, her voice small. "Not jealous, huh?" 

He was at her side in a microsecond, "No," he said, and kissed her roughly. Angel couldn't get enough as he trailed kisses over her face and down her neck. He nipped lightly at his mark and she sucked in her breath, then moaned deeply. Her hands delved under his coat, seeking flesh as she brought her mouth to his again. 

"Maybe you should show me some of the things he's not allowed to do," she whispered, her voice heady. 

He growled and relieved her of her jacket. Angel lifted her roughly up onto the night-stand, knocking everything off of it in the process. "This," he said, kissing her savagely. His hands moved beneath her shirt. "And this," he snarled. Her legs wrapped themselves around his body, pressing him closer. Her nails dug into his back. He nibbled her ear, moved down to her neck again, then returned to her mouth, sucking on her bottom lip. "This too," he whispered as he pushed himself still closer to her, backing her completely against the wall. Buffy moaned deeply as she struggled to remove his coat. Suddenly the night-stand gave way and she fell to the floor with a crash, pulling him down with her. They stopped, surprised, and looked at each other. 

"We broke the table," Buffy giggled. 

Angel smiled but cursed himself in his mind. _The second table we've broken, doing the exact same thing._

"Sorry," he said. 

"It's okay," she whispered. "Worth it." She reached up and kissed him again. "Don't worry about Spike." 

Angel snorted. "We'll see." 

She smiled coyly. "Although, if this is how you react when you're jealous…my furniture bill's going to skyrocket." 

He rolled his eyes and kissed her again. "We should be downstairs," he said reluctantly. 

Her eyes lowered. "I know." 

They righted themselves, leaving the dismantled night-stand where it fell. They walked down the stairs and into the living room where they found their friends involved in research. Everyone looked up expectantly when they entered. 

Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "I don't even want to know."

Buffy and Angel exchanged a guilty look. "We had some issues to work out," she said. 

Spike threw her a wicked grin. "I'll just bet you did." 

"Where do we stand?" Angel asked, ignoring Spike. 

"Well, I haven't gotten that far in the Codex, but there are few rather interesting parts," Giles said. "For one thing this refers to the Prophecies of Aberjian, ancient scrolls, that I believe…what?" he asked as Wesley walked to him and grabbed the book from his hands. He scanned it quickly then looked up at Angel, disbelief on his face. 

"The Prophecies," he said to Angel. 

"What?" Buffy demanded. 

"The same Prophecy that says Angel will become human?" Cordelia cried, jumping up from her seat and walking to Wesley. 

"Woah…what Prophecy?" Xander asked. 

Buffy looked at Angel. "There's a Prophecy about you becoming mortal?" she asked. 

He nodded, slowly. "Apparently." 

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. 

"Prophecies don't always come true. I didn't want to get your hopes up," he said, weakly. 

"Just so you know, after tomorrow night you're going to develop a sore throat with all the talking you'll be doing," she said, slightly irritated. 

"What does the Prophecy say?" Willow asked. 

Wesley answered her. "It says that Angel gets to live until he dies…until he becomes human. The term is to 'Shanshu.' If I remember correctly it said that the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu, or become mortal." 

"It's his reward," Cordelia explained helpfully. "That part I remember." 

"Shanshu…?" Willow said softly, thoughtfully. 

"What does it say in the Codex about the Aberjian?" Angel asked. 

Giles read aloud. "'The souled one of the Aberjian will fulfill his destiny. He will find the other half of his soul in the Chosen. Together they will create the Triumphant.'" 

Everyone was silent. "What's the Triumphant?" Gunn asked finally. 

"I don't know," Giles said thoughtfully. 

"A child," Anya said softly, stepping forward. "Congratulations," she said to Buffy and Angel. 

They stared at her, shocked. "Create a…a what?" Buffy asked. 

"A Triumphant. A child of the blessed. That's been a rumor since back in my day, a myth, really," Anya explained. "The story went that the two greatest warriors of their time would give birth to the Triumphant One, the one who would lead the battle to rid the world of evil." She paused. "It was like a demon ghost story, you know, to scare the little demons into behaving." 

"I need to sit down," Buffy said shakily. 

"Yeah," Angel whispered. They remained standing, staring dumbly at the people gathered around them. 

"A baby…wow," Willow said, glancing from Xander to Oz. 

"Nothing like having your life all written out for you," Oz said quietly. 

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked Giles. 

Giles consulted the book. "That's what it says, Buffy," he said, as stunned as the rest of them. 

"Wow," Willow repeated. "Yeah, I need to sit down," she said, slowly collapsing though there was no chair to catch her. Xander quickly kicked an ottoman and it saved her from hitting the ground. 

"So we've gone from Angel's going to turn, to he's going to be saved, Buffy's the other half of his soul, and now they're going to have kids?" Gunn asked. Giles nodded. "Just so we're clear," Gunn said, settling into an armchair. 

Giles had returned to studying the book. "There's a catch," he said. 

"Always is," Buffy said, her voice hollow. 

"'The souls will be tested, pitted against each other to determine their worth. The demon will rise and it the soul must defeat in a battle of will. The Chosen must spill the vampire's blood only when the demon is subdued.'" 

Wesley gasped. "My God," he said. 

"What?" Cordelia demanded. "Buffy has to kill Angel. We know that." 

"Angel has to defeat Angelus," Giles said gravely. 

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked fervently. Giles glanced at Angel. 

"He means that I have to kill my inner demon, force him down again after he rises. If I do, Buffy has to kill me as I am right now…as Angel," the vampire said softly. 

Buffy turned to him in horror. "No," she said pitifully. _"No."_

"You have to," he said. 

"I--I don't understand. How do you defeat the demon?" Willow asked. 

"He'll have to be stronger than the will of the demon. Keep Angelus buried within him, not allowing him to surface. If he can do that, Buffy has to kill the souled Angel," Wesley explained quietly. 

"Oh my God," Cordelia whispered. "So she's going to have to actually kill _Angel?_ Not Angelus?" 

Wesley nodded. There was a pregnant pause as they absorbed this new information. 

"What's the problem then?" Spike asked from the back of the room. 

"Not now," Xander ordered. 

"What?" Spike asked, standing. His voice was angry. "Are you going to tell me that shear willpower can't keep him down? You've got everything to lose if you don't. You're the most stubborn bloke I've ever come across, you're standing at the beginning of a new life, and you're going to tell me you don't think you can do it?" he cried, stomping over to them. "You've got the Slayer back. You'll get your mortality. You'll have a child someday, for crying out loud. Not a big possibility in your current situation." He paused. "And more importantly, you won't have the guilt anymore. I may not feel it, I may not understand it, but I know that's what drives you. Think of it, mate. A clean slate. _Absolved."_

Angel stared at him. 

"Wouldn't you rather it be this way?" Spike asked seriously. "To defeat the demon on your own rather than have the Slayer do it for you?" 

Angel said nothing. 

Spike turned to Buffy. "You can do this, too, you know. I know it doesn't feel that way now, but it's true. Not just because you've done it before, and certainly not 'cause you'll want to. You're the bloody Chosen. You're the end-all as far as Slayers go. And apparently you're meant for more than just all this," he said, throwing his arms out, indicating her life in its current situation. His voice became more gentle. "You'll do it because you know it's right, love. Don't need an ancient prophecy or some dusty scrolls to see that. You'll do it because…well, it's what you do." 

She stared at him, wanting so badly to believe him. 

Willow stepped forward. "Spike's right, Buffy. I know this is hard. I can't even imagine what you're going through. But I believe in you. I know you can do this. The getting there's the worst part, but think about what you'll gain when all this is over." She glanced at Angel. "That goes for you, too." 

Buffy gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Will." 

"Ok, not trying to take away from the touching moments we're having here, but we still don't know what's going to happen tomorrow night," Cordelia said. 

Giles cleared his throat. "Give me a little more time to translate the Codex. See if I can find out anything about the Shanshu and the ritual." 

Willow got a strange look on her face, which Oz noticed. "Will?" he asked, curiously. 

She continued to look thoughtful when suddenly her eyes flew open wide. She gasped and jumped up off the ottoman. "Ohmigod!" she cried. "I'll be right back," she called as she ran up the stairs to the second floor. 

Everyone exchanged glances as Willow pounded up the stairs. No one moved, not sure what to do. Moments later Willow flew down the stairs carrying several books. She skidded to a halt in the doorway to the room. "Got it," she said triumphantly. 


	14. New Possibilities

Buffy flew from her seat as Willow walked into the room

Buffy flew from her seat as Willow walked into the room. "Got what?" 

"It didn't hit me until Giles called this thing a ritual, not a spell like we have been. That probably shouldn't have mattered, but you know…there's been a lot of stuff going on, I'm not at my best." 

"It's all right, Willow. We're all tired. What did you find?" Giles said. 

"Well, you know Ms. Calendar wasn't a practicing witch, but she did keep her hand in the mix a little bit, enough so that she knew what she was talking about. I mean, she recreated the curse for Angel. Well, several times in her files about Angel, rough drafts of the curse and stuff, it mentions the word Shanshu. But it's in Latin and Rumani or whatever language the Rumani spoke, so I've never been able to really read it. Look," she said, handing a journal and some loose papers to Giles. 

Giles took them and excitedly began to study them. "Here it is…_'The Ritual of Shanshu is meant for the Champion,'_ and in parentheses it says "Angel," _'when the time is right he and the Chosen',_ Buffy," Giles explained, _"'will be summoned. Once Shanshu is achieved the Champion will take that which he needs from the eight elements.'"_

"Eight elements?" Gunn asked. 

Oz furrowed his brow. "There are eight of us…eight to form." 

"What does Angel need from us?" Cordelia asked. 

"I don't know," Giles admitted. They were silent, thinking. After a few moments, Oz raised his hand. 

"Uh, guys?" he said tentatively. "I've been thinking about this a little bit lately. Been tossing this theory around in my head. We all pretty much come from different places. I mean, Willow, Cordelia and Xander are really the only three who are from Sunnydale. Buffy and Gunn are from LA. Giles and Wesley are from England. Angel's from Ireland…and well, lots of places. I wasn't born here. Anyone ever stop to think about the coincidence that we're all a part of some written prophecy that's well, _old,_ and somehow we all ended up meeting each other years before it goes down?" 

Xander looked at him quizzically. "Translation?" 

"Think about it. Something big is going to happen tomorrow night. All the information we keep finding says that this has been destined to happen for who knows how long. But I'm thinking that this has been in the works…having us find each other, out of all the billions of people in the world. Why us?" 

Willow nodded. "Like we're meant to be friends? We were drawn to each other rather than to anyone else?" she asked. 

"Something like that. This prophecy…it says Angel needs something from us. From _us,_" he said, looking at each member of their group. "That could be kinda cool," Oz said. "I mean, unless it means that Angel needs like body parts or something, but…that kinda sounds like the rest of us are important parts of this thing. That we've all been drawn here together." 

"Yeah!" Xander said. "You and Mr. Champion over there aren't the only ones who have destinies anymore!" he told Buffy. 

"So you're theorizing that it's no coincidence that we've all come to know each other?" Wesley asked Oz. Oz nodded. "Astounding." 

"So we're only friends because some prophecy's thrown us all together? I don't buy that," Gunn said. 

Everyone stood, thinking over Gunn's words. "I don't think that's right," Buffy said. "A prophecy may have brought us all together, but it couldn't make us love each other. We don't have to be friends to perform this ritual…right?" she asked the Watchers. 

"I'm sure you're correct, Buffy," Giles said tenderly. 

"We've become a family on our own," Willow added. 

"Of our own free will," Wesley said. 

"Even me?" Spike asked. 

Giles rolled his eyes. "Yes, Spike, I suppose you could say even you." 

"But still…it was cool enough when Buffy and Angel were part of the Big Game of Life, now that we're thrown in the mix…well, let's just say, a whoo and a hoo for us," Xander said, grinning. 

"Unless it _does_ involve us giving Angel body parts." 

"I'm sure it doesn't. I mean, what kind of Champion's going to go around looking like pieces of us?" Oz told him. 

"Lop-sided," Gunn threw in. "Devastatingly handsome, but lop-sided."

"You can't have my hair," Anya told Angel. "Or my eyes!" she added quickly. "And you can't have Xander's pe—" 

"Ookay!" Xander interrupted. "Well just leave it at that. You can't have Xander's pee." 

"Anyway," Buffy cut in. "Does it mention how we're supposed to go about this little ritual?" 

Giles furrowed his brow as he continued to read. "There are notes in the margin but I'm afraid they aren't very clear. Several times the phrase "no will of their own" is written, but each time it's surrounded by question marks. It seems Jenny didn't know either." 

"Keep reading. Willow, I can help translate the Latin, as can Angel," Wesley told her. She handed him the rest of Jenny's notes and texts. 

"So the rest of us just keep researching?" Anya asked. "Seems pointless." 

"Yes, Ahn, we keep researching. That's what we do in times of crisis. Read books," Xander said, steering her to an armchair. 

"Right," Buffy sighed. "Guess I'll join in. Book me," she said to Giles. He handed her a heavy, dust covered leather-bound book. She looked down at the cover. "Stop this crazy party train," she muttered and took a seat on the couch. 

Angel remained leaning on the arm of a chair, deep in thought. He rose a moment later. "I'm going to get some air," he said, and walked to the front door. He stepped out onto the front porch, oblivious to the worried glances his friends exchanged. Buffy got up to follow him. 

"Hey," she said, and joined him on the porch steps. 

"Hey," he answered, glancing over at her. 

"Some night, huh?" 

He let out a short laugh. "I need a vacation." 

"I'm a bit prophecized out myself," she admitted. She looked up to see the moon, one day short of being full. "Twenty-four hours from now…" 

"Yeah. You'll get to kill me for a second time. I think that's even illegal in Texas," he joked. 

"Well, I've gotten used to ducking the law." 

He got quiet. "Can you do it?" 

She thought about it. "I don't think I have a choice."

"You don't." 

"Neither do you." 

"No will of our own," he said softly. 

They exchanged a tender glance, then turned back to staring at their hands. "Can you believe this is us?" Buffy asked. "All written about and important? I mean, I didn't even make it into my high school yearbook. Of course, that was mainly Cordelia's fault, but still." 

"It's funny. I can handle the mystical prophecies, turning evil then turning human, no problem," he said casually. "It's the simplest thing that I'm having a hard time with." 

"What?" Buffy asked him gently. 

"The child." 

She looked down at her hands. "Oh." 

"It's not that I wouldn't want that, don't think that," he said, rushing his words. "I would love that more than anything. It's just…I kind of gave up that dream a long time ago." 

She gave him a small smile. "You don't hear about too many vampires passing out cigars, I guess." 

"Not often, no." 

"Well, it's like you said earlier. Prophecies don't always come true…I mean-" 

"Buffy," he said, taking her hand. She raised her eyes to meet his. "I believe it." 

His words, so simple, touched her to her core. "You do?" she whispered.

He nodded. "I don't know why, but I do. I guess if we can make it through everything else that's supposed to happen, that seems so easy…so natural. It can't not be true. A Triumphant or not, I would like nothing more than to have a child with you." 

A tear escaped and she reached for him. He hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. 

"You're welcome," he said softly in her ear. She pulled back and kissed him gently. 

"I think that's the reason I'm going to be able to do this tomorrow night. Knowing that someday, we could have that…" she told him. 

"It's the reason I'm not afraid anymore," he admitted. 

*** 

She watched the exchange lovingly. "Perfect," she whispered. 

"They've found your papers, then?" the man asked. 

"Yes father, they have. It's only a matter of time. Willow…I knew she'd remember. So smart. One of my favorite students…" she said softly, reminiscing. 

"You're too soft when it concerns them, Janna," the man chastised her. 

"Perhaps. I just want to make it right. I failed them before. I didn't keep them apart, I didn't warn them what would happen," she said, a hint of anger creeping into her voice. 

"You couldn't have known they would grow to love each other," the man told her. 

"But I did know, I saw it. Everyone could see it. They're perfect together. It's when they're apart that things really go to hell." 

"They are destined to be with each other. That much is true. From the beginning, time and fate have worked hand in hand to see to it. Do not blame yourself for what happened so many years ago. As you can see, they have returned to each other. They just needed a little guidance," the old woman said, approaching them from behind. 

"Can he control the demon inside?" Jenny asked her. 

The old woman sighed. "He has it in him. Now he has more reason than ever. He doesn't know it, but the love for the girl was already enough." 

"So they will succeed?" 

The old woman turned and looked out over the town, waited. "The Powers will not let even me see the outcome. We will have to wait." She said finally and shuffled off, the man following her. 

Jenny turned back to the town once again. "Make it right," she said to the dark. 

*** 

The evening grew later. As with the night before the group grew tired and Buffy decided it was bedtime. 

"There's one extra bed room upstairs, then couches and stuff down here. I'll get some blankets and pillows," she told them. 

"Buffy…they can go home," Angel told her. 

"No they can't…remember? Vampires out for our heads?" 

"It's fine. They won't be harmed. I warned the vampires back in the sewers. Told them to tell their friends no one is to be harmed." 

"What makes you think they'll listen to you?" Xander asked. 

"I told them they had to wait…until tomorrow night," he said, ashamed. 

There was an uncertain beat in conversation. 

"They won't hurt us because they think you're waiting to turn…so you can have a go at it," Spike said. 

"Something like that," Angel said uncomfortably. 

"Oh, that's just great," Xander muttered. 

"Whatever," Cordelia said, rising from the couch. "It's bought you guys some time. I mean, Xander, Giles, do you really want to sleep on the floor, or in your own beds?" 

"I'll play Scout Leader…get your stuff," Spike told them. "Make sure everyone's all safe and snuggly tonight. Rather sleep in my crypt anyway." 

"Tomorrow, meet back at the magic shop. If we've got free passage until tomorrow night, and the plus side of daylight, we should be safe there," Buffy said. 

Xander and Anya headed out the door with Wesley, Giles and Spike quickly following them. 

Cordelia and Gunn walked wearily up the stairs and into their room. Willow and Oz straightened up the books. "We'll get it tomorrow guys," Buffy said gently. They looked at her gratefully and headed to bed. "Goodnight," she called after them. 

Buffy turned out the lights and locked the doors before heading to the foot of the stairs. She turned to Angel. "Coming?" she asked. He nodded and followed her to her bedroom. 

She left the overhead light off and flicked on her bedside light instead, which was now standing on the floor as a result of the broken nightstand. A soft glow filled the room. 

"Remember the first time you slept here?" she asked him. He gave her a small smile. 

"Yeah, I do. Do I have to sleep on the floor again?" he teased. 

She grinned. "Not if you're good." 

"At least I won't be hiding in your closet in case your mom comes in…" he said before he realized what he was saying. 

"It's okay," Buffy said quickly. 

"No, Buffy, I'm sorry. That was insensitive, I wasn't thinking." 

"It wasn't. Really. She's been gone for a long time. I know you didn't mean it that way." 

"I didn't." 

She smiled and held out her hand to him. "Let's go to bed, okay?" 

He nodded and took her hand. They came together slowly. "Do I have to turn my back while you change?" he asked. 

She shook her head. "Can you do that and undress me at the same time?" she whispered. 

He shivered. Slowly he unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall open. "So soft," he murmured, running a finger over her navel. 

She jerked. "That tickles." 

"Sorry." His hands splayed her waist and he knelt in front of her, bringing his lips to her belly. 

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he placed random kisses over her abdomen. She ran her fingers through his hair and held him close to her. 

"God you're beautiful," he told her, looking up. 

She smiled. "You make me feel beautiful," she told him. He stood, kissed her deeply. 

"Tomorrow night…" 

"Shh…" she said, placing a finger over his lips. "Not now. More of this," she ordered. "Close your eyes." 

He did as she asked and felt her begin to unbutton his shirt. Her hands ran over his chest, felt each muscle tense as she did so. She leaned in and kissed his lips gently, so gently. "I love you," she whispered. 

"I love you too," he returned, his voice taut with emotion. He felt her move away from him, heard the creak of weight on the bed, and followed as she led him to her. 

*** 

The next morning dawned bright and cheery, but not, luckily, in the room that Buffy and Angel shared thanks to closed blinds and curtains. 

They woke, hearing movement in the hallways, and rose slowly. When they entered the kitchen a while later they found Cordelia and Gunn, as well as Willow and Oz, were already up and eating. 

"Morning," Willow said somewhat sleepily. "Waffles. Eggs. Toast. O- Neg." She said, pointing to each. 

"Breakfast of Champions," Oz joked. He was greeted with sleepy stares. "Sorry, too early

"A bit. I'll laugh in about twenty minutes after main-lining some coffee," Buffy told him and started to fix herself a plate. 

Angel looked worse than the rest of them and Willow commented on it. "Not used to sleeping at night," Angel told her. 

"I talked to Wesley this morning," Cordelia said, taking a bite of waffle. "They're already at the shop, but they said no hurry for us. Not that much left to look up I guess." 

"What _are_ we going to do today?" Gunn asked. 

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. We still don't know the where, when, or how parts of it. And I have a feeling we're not going to find out much else from reading books." 

"Ms. Calendar's papers said 'No will of their own.' Maybe that means we should just let things happen," Willow suggested. 

"Could be. I'm just not real big on surprises," Buffy said, pouring syrup on her waffles. 

They continued to eat in silence, taking their time. A short while later breakfast ended. They packed up the books and laptops and headed out to the magic shop.


	15. Circle Of Friends

The day went slowly

The day went slowly. Everyone was tired of research, mostly tired of not finding answers. Angel and Buffy never left each other's sides as doubt of the success of the ritual began to creep into their minds. They sparred in the training room for a while, working out the nerves that fluttered inside. Conversation was kept at a minimum by silent agreement. 

Just before nightfall Spike showed up. Taking Angel aside for a moment while Buffy returned a book to its shelf, he told him. "Can't bloody well kill you if I don't know where you are. You've never told me where this thing's going to happen." 

"We don't know," Angel admitted. 

Spike looked slightly amused. "Still? All these little busy little bees buzzing around and you still haven't gotten the invitation?" 

Angel shook his head, frustrated. "Maybe it's not really going to happen. Maybe we got all worked up for nothing." 

Spike shrugged and walked to the fridge, helping himself to a mug of blood and a box of Wheatabix. The night continued to crawl by, everyone having pretty much abandoned research as the evening grew later. Oz sat on the floor meditating, as Willow said he had done the night before, holding the wolf in. Inspired, Willow began to chant, asking the gods for guidance and help. The moon rose high in the sky. 

Hours had passed when Cordy, sitting at the table playing solitaire, suddenly shouted from the front of the shop. She doubled over as a vision struck. Everyone rushed to her side. "What do you see?" Gunn asked, holding her hand. 

"Out back. Vampires. And a family. Gonna kill them all. Go!" she shouted, pointing to the back door. Everyone ran to the alley behind the shop and witnessed two vampires preparing to make a meal of a family of four. 

Buffy raced to them, quickly followed by Angel and Spike. Xander and the rest hung back by the door, prepared in case the fight should come their way. 

"You guys didn't get the memo, did you?" Buffy asked the vampires. They had whirled around as the door to the magic shopped open and now stood, the family backed against the wall. "The one that said no one eats people in my town?" 

"We killed the messenger," one said. 

Buffy looked mildly surprised. "Wow…one who'll actually banter with me." 

The other vampire looked confused and turned to his partner. "We ate a messenger? Who was it? That old lady?" 

His friend rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he hissed. 

"Help us," the mother of the family cried out weakly. 

The less-intelligent vampire turned around. "Shut up!" he screamed at her. As he turned, Buffy struck, whipping a stake out from beneath her sleeve. He was dusted before he could even turn back around. Angel took advantage of the commotion and grabbed the other vamp by his shoulders. Swinging him around until he crashed into the brick wall, Spike popped up underneath Angel's arm and drove a stake through the vamps' chest. 

The three fighters stopped and looked at each other. "We ate the messenger?" Buffy asked, smirking. 

They turned and walked back into the shop, taking seats once again at the table. Suddenly Angel looked around. "Where's Cordy?" he asked. 

Everyone turned to look around the shop. "Cordy?" Xander called out. 

"Change that to where are Cordy and Gunn?" Buffy said, moving swiftly around the shop. 

"Cordelia? Gunn?" she shouted. She turned back to her friends. "They're gone." 

"I'll look in the training room," Giles said and rushed to the back. 

"Maybe they're out front?" Oz asked and walked to the front door. He stepped outside, looking up and down the street. 

"Where would they have gone? Maybe her vision was a painful one?" Anya asked. 

Angel shook his head. "No, Gunn wouldn't have taken her anywhere without telling us." 

Everyone stared at each other, a little shocked and scared. The sound of a door shutting came from the back of the shop. "Giles?" Buffy called. "Did you find them?" There was no answer. She took a step towards the training room. "Giles?" she called, softly. Fear entered her heart and she rushed to the training room, followed by everyone else, only to find it vacant. 

"Oz!" Willow cried, running back to the front of the shop. She threw open the door to find an empty street. "Buffy!" she cried. "He's gone! Where is he? He's gone!" 

"I don't know," she said, grasping her friends' hand. "But we'll find him." She turned to Angel. "Vamps?" she asked him. 

He shook his head, uncertain. "That doesn't feel right," he said. 

"Anyone else starting to feel like the cast of _Clue_?" Xander asked, panic rising in his voice. 

"Everyone stay here," Buffy ordered. "Spike, Angel, we'll do a perimeter search. Spike, you check the roof. Angel, out back. I'll go out front." 

As they moved quickly to each of their locations, Spike climbed up the ladder at the far end of the shop that led to the roof. He pushed open the trap door and slowly climbed out, keeping an eye out for an ambush. He moved silently around the roof, careful to check behind the massive air-conditioning unit where anyone could easily hide. "Nothing," he muttered, standing on the edge, looking out over the street. Movement below caught his attention. It was Willow, walking slowly down the street. _What the hell is she doing? _"Hey! Red!" he yelled out to her. Willow continued to walk woodenly. 

More movement to his left. It was Xander, walking as stiffly as the witch was. Spike stared at them. "Where the bloody hell are you going?" he shouted. No reply. He watched them walk, watched as Anya, then Wesley followed them a few moments apart. "Okay…time to get the poof and the Slayer," he said to himself, and darted back down into the shop, just as Buffy and Angel ran back inside. They stared at the empty room where they had left four people just minutes before. 

"This way, they're leading you," Spike told them, heading for the front door. 

"How did they get past us? We weren't gone more than a few minutes. I didn't see anything!" Buffy shouted as they ran down the street. 

"No will of their own!" Angel shouted back. "There! Look!" Up ahead was one of the many Sunnydale cemeteries. Wesley was just entering the front gates, trailing Anya by only a few feet. The three slowed down and crept along the fence, watching their friends carefully. Entering the cemetery they took a sharp turn and went up a hill that overlooked the town. Standing in an incomplete circle were their friends. They watched silently as Anya and Wesley took their places, completing the sphere. The circle was wide, with perhaps five or six feet in between each person. 

Spike, Buffy and Angel hid in the trees, observing. Their friends stood, facing inwards, staring ahead. They didn't blink. They didn't move. All outside sound had ceased and the night was eerily quiet. The full moon overhead provided light, but the circle had a glow of its own; white light centered over each person. 

"I guess you got your where and how part, love," Spike whispered to Buffy. 

She turned to him, dread in her eyes. "I'm not ready for this." 

He gave her a sad smile. "I think you are." 

She gulped and turned to Angel. "Oh God," she whispered, placing her hands on his chest. 

He hugged her to him, hard. "You can do it," he said, his voice breaking. "I know you can." 

"So can you," she told him. 

He nodded but she saw the uncertainty in his eyes. They turned with one last glance at Spike, and walked to the circle. "God help you," Spike whispered as they walked off. He waited for them to get just outside the circle, then moved in more closely. If Buffy would need him, he wanted to be nearby. 

Buffy stopped before they could enter and peered around Willow to see inside. She turned to Angel once more. "I love you," she told him. "Remember that." 

"You too," he told her, squeezing her hand. 

They entered in between Willow and Oz, and a warm, tingly feeling came over them. The energy inside the circle was powerful. Buffy looked around at her friends. "Will?" she called softly. 

"I don't think they can hear us," Angel said to her. She waved her hand in front of Willow's unblinking stare. No reaction. Slowly she backed away and made it to the middle of the ring. 

"What do we do now?" she asked, holding his hands tightly. "How do we know when to start? Or, what to do for that matter?" 

"I don't know…I guess we just wa—aaagghh!" he cried as he pitched forward. He fell to his knees and Buffy stumbled backwards. "Oh God," he whispered painfully. He raised his head to her. "Buffy…" 

She scrambled back to him and knelt. "You can do it," she told him. "You can! Fight him!" 

He swayed, then crashed into her. She held him closely. "I love you, I love you," she repeated over and over. 

Angel moved back from her and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He twisted from his stomach to his back to his stomach again, clawing at the ground. After a moment he quit thrashing as much until he lay on the ground silently, his back to her. 

"Angel?" Buffy asked quietly, taking a step to him. 

He lifted his head off the ground at her voice, then pushed himself to his knees. Running a hand through his hair he made note of his surroundings. Suddenly, as if sensing she was behind him he turned to her, a look of love in his eyes. "Buffy?" 

She nodded, offered him a smile, and her hand to help him stand up. He smiled back at her, took her hand and caressed it lovingly. He moved onto one knee as he struggled to stand up, then suddenly tightened his grip on her hand, crushing it. But she was ready for him. Taking advantage of his grip she pulled him toward her with all her might, sending him crashing to the ground behind her. 

He looked up at her, his eyes hurt, pain shooting through his body. "What did you do that for? I…I---oh, never mind!" he laughed suddenly. "I can't keep this up…I'm just so excited to see you again, Buff!" he cried jubilantly, springing to his feet. "It's been such a long time. You don't call, you don't write…" 

"Sorry, Angleus…been busy. Killing a lot of your friends, actually," Buffy said, her eyes steely but her voice light.

"Is that so?" he asked, dusting off his jacket. "Looks like you've brought all yours out for my big night…nice of you to bring food to the party." 

"You know you're not getting out of here alive," she told him. "Only Angel and I get to perform that trick." 

He walked over to Willow and went to poke her cheek when his hand was repelled from her by an invisible field. He turned to Buffy, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I'm eating her first," he told her. 

"Not gonna work this time, Angelus. I can banter all night, although for your sake, you might want to get this over with before sunrise. Nothing you say is going to throw me off my guard. In the end, I'm still going to kick your ass." 

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, look at you. All grown up now, aren't you Buff? And still all alone, from what I understand. Hell, even I left you…_again!_ Yes sir…I was alone for a long time too. Well," he said, considering, "there _was_ Darla. Sadly, she couldn't turn me, it wasn't perfect happiness, but the night was still…memorable. Gonna have to look her up," he paused, glanced at her mockingly. "Tell her I'm back in…well, just _back._" 

"Good luck with that," Buffy said, stiffly, trying to keep her voice light. She hadn't known that Angel and Darla had been…reunited in that way. Of course, Angelus was probably lying. 

"Oh! And let's not forget the last time you and I were…intimate. Oh, wait. You _don't_ remember that, do you?" 

She remained on alert, in fighting stance. "What?" 

"The day! The day that wasn't!" he cried, circling her. "You know! God…you've been hinting enough about it these last few days…the day the Powers That Be made me mortal. The day you and I last made love…made plans for our future. Until I decided that being a vampire was more my style and asked for the day back. You don't remember…they saw to that. Good for me, actually. The look on your face right now…I tell you! I wish I had a camera." 

Buffy was floored. "You're lying," she spat at him, but she knew it was true. Somehow, despite common sense, she knew that day had existed in some reality. 

"You know I'm not," he said, grinning. "But, enough about me," he said, springing forward. He threw punches at her, then kicked her legs out from underneath her. She crashed to the ground, landing on her back, and bent her knees. Kicking out with both legs she knocked him backwards and sprang to her feet, backing up. 

Suddenly his eyes gleamed a bright orange and he gasped in pain. She remembered this look. "Buffy?" he rasped. "Buffy…it's me, do it now…" She grabbed her stake from the small of her back and rushed to him, ready to dust him when he fell to the ground in agony again. "He's coming…I can't," he started to say, and collapsed to the ground. When he looked up, he was Angelus again. 

"Ah ah ah…doesn't work that way!" he said, wagging a finger at her, and jumped up, meeting her head on. She punched him in the face, once, twice, ducked his punch and received a kick to the ankle. She flipped backwards, putting some distance between them. 

"Angel!" she shouted. "Angel, you can do it! Please!" 

"Angel's not home right now," he said, moving closer to her. 

"It's not so hard this time, you know," she said to him. 

"What's that, my love?" 

"Killing you." She ran and jumped in the air, kicking straight out. He fell to the ground and rolled to the side. She ran straight for him grabbing him by the feet. Pulling with all her might she flipped him end over end. He landed on the ground with a crash but rolled quickly to the side, dodging a kick. She backed off to the far end of the circle. Angelus stood and they faced off. 

"Angel," Buffy said calmly. "I don't want to hurt you anymore." 

He looked surprised. "Was all that supposed to hurt?" 

She ignored him. "Angel, fight it!" she shouted to him. 

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, would you Just. Stop. Yammering!" he cried. "Angel can't win. His mortal side isn't strong enough, Slayer. What? Did you think his love for you would win over my hate?" Her eyes flickered but she remained silent. 

Angel walked over to Cordelia. "I can't believe how much I'm going to enjoy draining Cordy. She talks more than you do. Not as cute, but still…quite the hottie. Maybe I'll turn her…locating Darla could take a while…I could use a distraction." 

"Are you done yet?" Buffy asked, placing her hands on her hips, bored. "'Cause frankly, this isn't turning out to be quite the party I had expected." 

Angel turned to her, raising his eyebrows. "No? Huh. I guess you're right. Really, I thought it would be over by now. Well, that you'd be over by now. At this point in the evening I'd pictured myself gutting Xander, but…I'm flexible." 

"Flexible, huh? Let's see," she said and charged him. Just as she reached him she ducked and flipped him over her back. Turning quickly she grabbed his arms and rolled him over onto his stomach, wrenching his arms behind him. There was a resounding _pop_ as his shoulder dislocated. She straddled him and grabbed his hair then slammed his face into the ground. "Oooh…guess your shoulder doesn't bend that way," she taunted, wrenching his arm even harder. He shouted in pain. "Now, you were saying…" she began when he bucked, throwing her off balance. She landed hard on her hip, releasing his arms as she fell. He was on her in a moment. 

"I remember you were pretty flexible, Buff," he hissed, his face inches from hers. "A little naïve, a little…oh, let's say…inexperienced, but limber as hell." Fear entered her eyes as he held down her arms, straddled her legs, immobilizing her. "Whaddya say…want to show me how grown up you are?" 

She struggled beneath him. "Go to hell," she whispered. 

"I at _least_ expected an original comeback, something with a little punch. But…it's understandable. You're not on your game right now, what with the impending death of yourself, all your friends…most of the city…" He grinned. 

She closed her eyes, swallowed hard. "So that's the plan? Kill me, then kill all my friends?" 

He shrugged. "Something like that. Let's not count out the idea of turning Cordelia. Maybe Willow, too. Vamped Willow was…delicious. All that leather, I guess. Maybe I'll start a harem…" 

"How soon are you going to kill me?" Buffy asked. 

He gave her a remorseful smile. "Now, now…where's the fun in that if I just tell you?" 

She cocked her head to the side, looking behind him. "Well, I only ask because since Spike here is planning to shove that stake through your back, so it might be kinda difficult," she said. Angelus whipped his head around behind him and saw…nothing. Buffy made her move. She thrust both her legs up as hard as she could, kicking him in the groin. Screaming in agony he released her arms and fell to the side in pain. Buffy rolled in the opposite direction and sprang to her feet. "Sucker," she said, and grabbed him by the ears, hauling him up to his feet. 

She reared back and delivered a spin kick to his chest. He stumbled backwards, not prepared for the one-two punches she next delivered to his face. Blood seeped from his bottom lip and he wiped at it, saw it on his hand. 

"First blood…'bout time," he said, weaving on his feet. "Doesn't mean a thing." 

"Just that now you've managed to piss me off," she said and blocked a punch. Darting behind him she kicked his backside and sent him face-first into the dirt. "Not looking quite on your game anymore, Angel…that shoulder bothering you?" she asked, and kicked the shoulder in reference. 

"Just catching my breath," he muttered and rose quickly. As he turned to face her he was greeted with a slamming fist to his jaw that snapped his neck back. 

"You really should have learned," she said, advancing and punching him across the face again, "bothering my friends, even just talking about it," another punch to the face, more blood, "that just gets me all cranky." 

Angel, dazed, looked blankly at her, weaved on his feet, struggling to keep himself upright. "Angel will never do it," he told her. 

"You're wrong," she said, and jumped straight up in the air, delivering a kick to the center of his chest. He flew off his feet and onto his back. Again, she straddled him, holding his arms down with her knees. "Angel!" she shouted, punching him across the face. "Angel! Do it! Now!" She punched him repeatedly. 

"He's going to kill me! He'll kill my friends, your friends! Anyone we've ever cared about!" 

Angel's head lolled to the side, bloody from her hits. She stopped her assault. "Angel," she said softly. "If he wins, he kills you." 

A low laugh came from the man beneath her. "It's no use, Buff. He's weak. He's always been weak. It's the demon inside that gives him his strength. He knows that. He can't give it up. He couldn't then, he can't now." 

She stared at him for a moment. Slowly, she rose, releasing him. Walking backward to the middle of the circle she kept her eyes on him as he pushed himself up. Her chin came up. "Then kill me." 

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry…what you said, it sounded like 'kill me?'" he asked.

She nodded. "Kill me, then. You were right. I can't do it a second time. I'd rather be dead." 

He looked at her nervously. "Well, this is a pleasant turn of events…gee…I don't know…well, okay!" he cried and rushed her. 

She closed her eyes, praying silently. A primeval wail reached her ears and she her eyes flew open. Angel was on the ground, writhing. Buffy didn't hesitate. She retrieved her stake and ran to him. Angel flipped over onto his back and looked up at her. "Do it!" he shouted, pain searing through him. 

"Angel?" Buffy asked, looking for confirmation. 

"Can't hold him…please…now!" he screamed and closed his eyes. 

She said a silent prayer and staked him through the heart. 


	16. Death Is Your Gift

She pulled the stake back and waited for him to turn to dust

She pulled the stake back and waited for him to turn to dust. Angel's body stopped twisting in pain. Buffy lingered, staring. He lay on the ground, limp, eyes closed. His body remained. 

Backing up slowly, she looked down at the bloodied form of Angelus. All comprehension left her. Stumbling, she tried to make her way out of the circle but the force field held her inside her group of friends. She spun, searching in vain for a way out, her mind reeling, numb. 

Dumbly, she stopped and stood, trapped. Turning, she looked back at Angel, lying on the ground, dead. Finally she walked calmly back to him and knelt at his side. She lifted his head and cradled it in her lap, stroking his hair. She began to rock, the bob and weave motion of a person in severe shock. She wanted to cry but no tears fell. She wanted to scream but her voice would not work. 

Minutes passed. She continued to rock, to stroke his face, feel the growing coolness in his lifeless body. 

"Congratulations," a voice said behind her. The sound pierced her narcosis and she turned to find the source of the words. Behind her stood Jenny Calendar. 

Buffy stared at her. "Wha…?" 

"It's time," Jenny said, lovingly. Buffy stared at her mutely. Jenny opened her hand to reveal an Orb of Thessula. "Disperta! Acum!" she shouted. Buffy's gaze shifted to the crystal globe. Light began to fill it. Stronger and stronger, the light grew bright, casting an eerie glow around its holder. The light began to travel in a fluid stream towards where Buffy sat. 

Suddenly beneath her, Angel stirred. He jolted awake and began thrashing, a low mewling sound emitting from him. The mewling became cries of agony as the light from the Orb touched him. His body lifted off the ground, held him in midair. The light surrounded him, rushing over and around his body. Buffy sprang to her feet and backed up. She reached her hand out to Angel, to help him, but Jenny stopped her. "Not yet," she said. 

Angel was suspended in air, the light wrapping around him time after time until she could barely make out his form. And then the screaming subsided. The light began to dim and his body lowered. He touched down on the ground and lay, curled up, shivering. Buffy glanced at Jenny and ran to him. She threw herself on the ground and wrapped her arms around his shaking body. "Angel?" she whispered. 

With the sound of her voice Angel jerked and looked up at her. "Buffy?" he asked hoarsely. 

Tears streamed down her face. Angel slowly pushed himself up and sat, staring at her wondrously. His hands reached for her face, touched. His fingers ran over her cheeks, making sure she was real. 

"Are you okay?" he asked her sincerely. "You were going to let him kill you?" 

She looked sheepish. "I was hoping that would get through to you. Lucky for me…" 

Though weakened, he grinned at her and shifted to sit up better. He then noticed their audience. "You…" he said to Jenny. 

"Me," she said back, her voice tender. 

"The Rumani…" 

"We have righted the way of things," Jenny said. Angel rose unsteadily, pulling Buffy up with him. 

She put an arm around his waist, supporting him though she was as shaky as he was. 

"Why?" Angel asked, his breath coming more slowly now. 

Jenny smiled at them. "This is how it should be," she said. "You killed me, when you were meant to save me. My father could not give you death, the Powers forbade it, the prophecy needed to be fulfilled. So they did the next best thing. They restored your soul." 

Angel looked confused. "Save you? Your father?" he asked weakly, confused. 

"Death is not the end of a soul, Angelus. You should know that. When you killed me, the favorite daughter of the clan, you altered destiny. You were to be the one to save me that night." 

"Favorite dau…" Realization dawned. "You're the girl, the gypsy girl, the daughter I fed from the night my soul was restored." 

Buffy, quiet all this time, spoke. "You were reincarnated," she said. 

Jenny nodded. "I was sent here, after the way was changed, to make sure that Angel was redeemed by stopping Acathla. I failed. And Angel killed me for a second time. But you're too important," she said, walking to them, "you had to be given the opportunity to overcome your demon." 

"Important? Why?" he asked, standing on his own now. 

Jenny smiled again. "Because you're the Champion. And you are the Chosen. They are one and the same, in both of you. You are two halves of a soul that have once again found each other. Together you will save the world," she said simply. "When you were born, Liam…Angel," she corrected, "you were destined to be the Champion to lead the fight against all evil. You would fight for a thousand years until the End of Days was over. You're the key to making sure that the good guys win. You both are, I should say." 

Angel and Buffy exchanged glances, not entirely sure of what they were hearing. 

"Buffy, the Chosen, is your other half. Together you will be unstoppable, though the battle will be long and hard. Together, the Ten are sure to win." 

They looked around at their friends, still immobile, deeply locked in the trance. "The Ten? We're all needed, together?" Angel asked. 

"It is time," Jenny said again. "Take what you need from the eight." She held the Orb before her and again shouted, "Mirante…secumin…acum!" 

The Orb began to glow and laced shafts of light around Willow. Willow blinked her eyes and stepped forward to Angel. She smiled. "I bring the magic. Do not ignore the dark power, instead, find in it an ally. Let the mystical forces be your servant," she said, and stepped back in place. 

The light moved to Oz. As Willow had, he blinked, coming out of the trance, and stepped forward. "I bring the animal, cunning and swift. Let the instinct and prowess be your servant." 

Cordelia was next. She stepped forward and touched Angel's cheek. "I bring the sight. May your eyes be open to the future and may you not be blinded to your enemies. Let vision be your servant." 

The light moved to Gunn. "I bring the weapon. Strength will be on your side. Let your strikes be swift and true and may the sword be your servant." 

Giles stepped forward. "I bring intelligence. A true warrior must be more clever than his opponent, and smart enough to realize his limitations and weaknesses. Let wisdom and knowledge be your servant." 

Light swirled around Wesley and he walked to Angel. "I bring guidance. Let your heart and your mind work together for the greater good. Let nobility be your servant." 

Anya followed him. "I bring the saint. Your beliefs are tools, they guide you. Do not want, the way will always be found. Have faith. Let sacrifice be your servant." 

Finally, the light moved to Xander. He moved to Angel and smiled his sheepish Xander-smile. "I bring the heart," he said simply. "For without heart everything else is without meaning. Heart is what guides all the rest, is what has led you to where you are today. Let passion be your servant." 

He stepped back and the light moved to Angel. This time, however, it did not bring pain. It filled him, consumed and gave of him. He glowed, light splaying from his fingertips. And as quickly as it began, it was over. 

"It is righted," Jenny said. 

"My heart…" Angel said, a look of joy coming over his face. He turned to Buffy and took her hand. Placing it on his chest she felt the strong beat. She weaved unsteadily on her feet and he caught her with both arms, holding her close to him as she wept. 

"With the gifts from your friends you are restored," Jenny said. "You are now bound to your destiny. To fight for the greater good." 

Angel looked up at her suddenly. "But, how? I'm no match for anything now." 

Jenny smiled and shook her head. "Wrong. You have their gifts. You are magic and animal, spiritual and strong. You are sensible and perceptive, you are intelligent and true. You are noble and swift. You are the Champion, as you were to always be." 

She turned to Buffy. "The Chosen already possesses these things. Now, so does he." 

They stood in the circle, absorbing the shock of her words, of the events that had unfolded. Angel turned to Buffy, stunned. He held up his hand, turned it from front to back, marveling. She reached up and took it, held in with her own, and kissed it. His other hand stroked her cheek and for the first time she felt his warmth. 

"Unbelievable," she whispered. 

"Yeah…" he said softly. 

She looked up into his eyes, wiped a streak of blood from his face. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

He gave a short laugh. "You could say that."

They turned back to Jenny. She was smiling at them. 

"Thank you," Angel said, weakly. "That doesn't even begin to express it, but…" 

"Ms. Calendar…Jenny…why us?" Buffy asked. 

Jenny smiled again. "Since the beginning of the mortal world, when demons began to get pushed down, sent back to Hell to make way for the dominance of Man, it has been said that ten warriors would join together and lead the fight to keep them there." She shrugged. "You are The Ten. Although it's taken several hundred years for you all to finally find each other." 

Buffy looked confused. "What?" 

"For hundreds of years your souls have been seeking each other out, trying to get everyone together. But then Darla changed Angel and his soul was lost. Your souls," she said to Buffy, then indicating their friends, "couldn't find his because it wasn't there anymore." 

"I don't understand…what you mean our souls have been searching for hundreds of years?" Buffy asked. 

"You said it earlier. Reincarnation. Souls don't leave this earth until their destinies are fulfilled. The ten of you have been born and reborn countless times while you sought each other out. When Angel was turned his soul was lost. It made it impossible for all ten of you to find each other, though at one time we had nine." 

"Past lives?" Buffy asked, not sure if she believed what she was hearing. "We've all known each other before?" 

Jenny nodded. "In one form or another." 

"So if I hadn't been changed, if I had never met Darla, The Ten would have formed over 250 years ago?" Angel asked. 

Jenny shrugged. "Probably not right away. It might have taken many more years for you all to wind your ways to each other. But it would have been easier. We restored your soul to help them find you." 

A voice came from behind her. "You didn't make it any easier on us. Seclusion, isolation. Really, the hermit thing only works for Quasimodo." Whistler stepped out from behind Jenny. "So they sent me in to help you on your way. God, did you really screw things up." 

Jenny chimed in again. "We thought, when you and Angel became involved, Buffy, and when Wesley arrived in Sunnydale, that it was about to happen. The only thing missing was The Weapon—Gunn. And he was on his way." 

"But leave it up to you two. The love-in ensues and destiny gets altered once again. Ah, well. You've kept a guy in a job, I can say that," Whistler said. 

"And you were going to recurse me until I killed you," Angel finished, staring at Jenny. 

Jenny nodded. "So Willow did it for me. She's come such a long way…more powerful than I ever was." 

"But it's a funny thing about souls. They have no sense of direction, short attention spans. You losing your soul again, even for just a little while, sent everything all willy-nilly. You left, though everything inside you told you it was wrong," Whistler said, looking at Angel pointedly, "and our psychic friend and the Brit followed you. At least you all stayed together this time." 

"And there you found Gunn," Doyle said, from behind them. "And me, I might add." 

Buffy and Angel whirled around to face him. "Doyle," Angel said softly, happily. 

Doyle stepped up to Angel and embraced him, smiling. "Heros come in all different packages, my friend," he said, holding Angel's shoulders and looking him directly in the eye. "I mean, look at this motley crew. I was sent to watch you, help you figure things out, just like Whistler. And to make sure Cordy got the visions." He let go of Angel and walked over to Cordelia, still staring ahead, blankly. "Ah, the fair Cordelia. Still hell on wheels, ain't she?" he asked, glancing back at Angel, grinning. 

Angel nodded. "But she's different now…since you." 

Doyle's eyes saddened slightly. "I loved you," he told her. He turned to Gunn. "Treat her like the queen she thinks she is," he said to him. He walked back over to them. "Anyway. It's taken some time, but here we are." He turned to Buffy. "And I have a gift for you, gorgeous." 

"A gift?" she asked. 

"A memory," he told her, and touched her forehead. The memory of that day, the day Angel's humanity was restored, flooded her brain. A demon…mixing blood…a kiss on a pier, passionate love in his kitchen, a broken table…peanut butter, ice cream, more love…and a fight, Angel…almost killed…she saves him… _What happens to the Slayer? What happens to all mortal beings…albeit sooner for her._ He asks for his life to be taken back so that she may live. A tearful, pain-filled goodbye…and a man with the only memory of that day. 

Angel watched her as it hit her, the pain and the love. She turned to him, stunned. "I knew," she said. "I knew there was something…missing…from me. That day, when I turned and left you in your office, it didn't feel right." 

He nodded knowing exactly what her gift had been. "I'm sorry." 

She hugged him fiercely. "Don't be. I'm just now remembering. You've lived with this for a long time." She pushed back from him. "How could you? Give that up, I mean." 

He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. "You needed to live." She stared at him, love bright in her eyes. 

"Well. As they say, our work here is done," Jenny said. "Finally, I made things right." She smiled at them, then turned slowly and walked to Giles. "See me," she said to him, and he blinked suddenly, coming out of the trance. 

"Jenny?" he whispered, unsure. 

"Rupert…" she said lovingly. 

"Jenny, is it really you?" 

"It's really me. But I've come to say goodbye." 

"Goodbye? Wait, I..." 

"Shh…I know," she said, placing a finger to his lips, "You're happy now, I've been watching. I'm glad for you, Rupert, truly. But I couldn't go without saying goodbye." 

"Go? Please, Jenny…" 

"It's okay," she said tenderly, stroking the side of his face, "I've done what I was sent here for. But I never got to thank you." 

"Thank me?" 

"For loving me. For letting me love you." 

"I don't know what to say," he said hoarsely, emotion filling his throat. 

"Don't say anything…just, close your eyes." He hesitated, then obliged her. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. When he opened them, she was gone. 

Doyle hugged Angel and kissed Buffy on the forehead. "I wish I could stay," he told them. "Bounce your kids on my knee and all that." He looked at Giles, then to Cordelia. "I can't do that, what the gypsy did. Tell Cordy…tell her I'm watching her. She's doin' good. I'm proud of her," he said, emotionally. Angel nodded. 

"What do we do now?" Buffy asked. 

Doyle grinned at her. "You'll figure it out. There's only so much we're gonna do for you. Go with your instincts." 

"Come on, Irish," Whistler said, slinging an arm around Doyle's shoulders. "Let's go get a drink." With one last lingering glance, they turned and walked out of the circle, disappearing as Jenny had. 

A powerful wind kicked up and one by one the group opened their eyes, free of the spell. Looking around, dazed, they found Buffy and Angel standing in the middle of them, their eyes locked. 

Sunlight filtered through the clouds, hit his skin. He grinned slowly. Smiling back she reached up and kissed him. 

Willow and Cordelia exchanged happy glances. Xander was the last to wake up. He looked around blearily. "Did it work?" 


	17. Whole New World

"So Ms

"So Ms. Calendar was there? She's the gypsy girl, reincarnated, that you killed that made you lose your soul in the first place?" Cordelia asked later that morning. "Boy…women in your life just don't go away do they?" 

Day had broken and sunlight flooded the streets of Sunnydale. They had made their way back to the magic shop and Buffy and Angel filled them in on what they had missed while entranced during the ritual. 

Angel nodded. "She's the girl, the favorite daughter. They reincarnated her in the form of Jenny Calendar and sent her here. She was supposed to watch us, to make sure that this time things went differently…that The Ten found each other." 

"And we all have been reincarnated ourselves? We've been in other people?" Willow asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice

Buffy nodded. "Over and over again, trying to find each other so we could do what we did tonight." 

"Past lives…neat," Oz said more to himself than to the group. 

__

"Way neat!" Cordelia cried, sitting up. "I wonder who I was…maybe Marilyn Monroe! Or Cleopatra!" 

Everyone rolled their eyes. "I can probably help you with that," Willow told her, "you know, we could do a spell sometime to find out who we were."

"I just wonder which of us met up before…which of us were friends in past lives," Gunn mused. 

Wesley turned to Buffy and Angel. "So we each provided an aspect of ourselves for Angel, so that he now possesses all the attributes of a warrior?" 

They nodded. "Guess I owe you guys for that," Angel said. 

"I feel a fruit basket coming on," Cordelia muttered. "What?" she cried when Angel glanced at her. 

"I keep telling you, no one wants a fruit basket. Jewelry. People…I, I want jewelry." 

"Does this mean that Angel is now a werewolf…with visions…and is a revenge demon?" Oz asked. 

Giles shook his head. "No, I seriously doubt it. I think it means that he's taken from us that which we possess or do best…the spiritual strengths." 

Anya suddenly gasped and whispered urgently into Xander's ear. He blushed deeply. "Yes, I still have it," he told her and turned back to the group. "So! Still, as rituals go, very cool. _I am the heart,"_ he said, lowering his voice. 

"You are the doofus," Cordelia corrected him, but her tone was teasing. 

Buffy looked confused. "You remember that part?" she asked. Everyone nodded. 

"The last thing I remember," Willow told her, "is sitting here waiting for you guys to come back, after Cordelia and Oz and everyone disappeared. And then all of the sudden we were standing in a circle in the graveyard…talking to Angel. But it was like, I just knew what I needed to do…what to say." Everyone nodded again. 

"That pretty much sums it up," Wesley agreed. 

"Ms. Calendar said that Angel wasn't supposed to have become a vampire?" Oz asked. 

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. He was supposed to have been hero-guy, to save her that night from whatever really was going to try to kill her." 

"That would be me," Spike said, raising his hand, walking in from the back. "All set to kill her when Darla stops me…wants the girl for her darling boy instead." 

Angel shook his head. "Can't be you. If I hadn't been changed, then Dru wouldn't have been, and then she wouldn't be your sire. You would have been dead by that point." 

"Unless Spike and Drusilla were always meant to be vampires…maybe it would have happened anyway," Willow said. 

Giles put his head on the table. "I don't have the energy for paradoxes." 

"So, Angel," Gunn said, changing the subject. "What now?" 

Angel shrugged. "No idea," he admitted. He looked down at Buffy. "Last time I was human I had one thing on my mind…" 

She grinned. "Definitely, definitely hold onto that thought," she said coyly. He kissed her again. 

"This is astounding, truly," Wesley said. "You're human, but with the strength you possessed as a vampire." 

"Vamp-like," Cordy said, thoughtfully, "but without the pesky side effects of bursting into flame in sunlight, and you know, wanting to kill everyone all the time." 

"And now you can eat garlic," Anya told him. "Hey! Now you can _eat!"_

"And hold a cross without getting burned," Gunn said. 

"And see yourself in a mirror," Willow added. 

"But just so you know," Oz said helpfully, "a stake through the heart or beheading? Probably still kill ya." 

Angel looked at Oz sideways. "Thanks." 

"Here to help." 

"Are you guys going back to LA tonight?" Willow asked. 

Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley exchanged glances then turned to Angel who was completely engrossed with Buffy. "Probably not," Cordy told them, rolling her eyes. "I'd imagine you're stuck with us for another few days." She turned back to them. "Him? Might be more like weeks." 

Gunn snickered. "Months." 

Wesley shook his head. "Years?" 

Buffy and Angel broke their kiss and looked up. "What?" Angel asked innocently. 

"Nothing," Willow said, giving her best stern glare to Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia. "We're happy for you." 

Buffy grinned. "Me, too. I'm happy for us." 

"So…what now?" Xander asked. "I mean, check us out. We're a team. We're the almighty Ten for crying out loud!" 

"It's just The Ten, you sot," Spike said, "Nothing special." 

"Unwanted undead," Xander zinged back. 

Spike rolled his eyes and turned with a huff to Buffy and Angel. "Thought you two might want to know… checked out the warehouse. More than half the vampires have made tracks. Others are probably on their way home as well." 

"They just left?" Gunn asked. 

"Yeah. Guess since Master didn't exactly have a successful business trip they've decided to skedaddle," Spike said. "Fickle little fanatics, aren't they? Can't get a good army together anymore." 

"Well, that's good," Buffy said. "Did enough fighting tonight. Last night…whatever." 

"Nobody messes with The Ten," Xander said dramatically. Everyone ignored him. 

"Can we go to sleep now?" Cordelia asked. "It's like 6:30 in the morning and I haven't even seen a bed in twenty-four hours." 

Giles nodded. "Yes, sleep." 

They rose and gathered their belongings. Buffy and Angel remained seated, engrossed in each other. "Best day ever," she told him. 

"The best," he agreed. "Guess I'm not going to get used to that sleeping at night thing today." 

She shook her head. "I'm exhausted. We should probably go home, too. We can talk about all this stuff later on." 

He was looking at her with a strange smile on his face. "What?" she asked him. 

He kissed her nose. "I love—Cordelia!" he cried suddenly, jumping to his feet. 

Buffy looked deflated. "Nice way to tell me," she said. 

He glanced back at her. "No, I wanted to tell her, about Doyle." He strode up to the front door just as Cordelia was exiting. "Cordy," he called. She stopped and turned. 

"I forgot to tell you…I wanted to do it in private," he said softly. 

"What's up?" she asked impatiently. 

"Doyle was there," he told her. 

Her expression changed from one of annoyance to one of tenderness. 

"What?" she gasped. "When?" 

"Towards the end. He came to help explain what was going on. And he had a message for you," he stopped and looked at her meaningfully. 

"What!?" she cried, smacking him on the shoulder. "Now is not the time for dramatic pauses!" 

Angel winced and rubbed his shoulder. "He said to tell you…he's proud of you. And that he watches you…he likes Gunn. He's happy for you." 

Cordelia slumped, her heart swelling. "Really?" she asked in a small voice. 

He nodded. 

She smiled suddenly. "Thanks," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. She turned to walk out of the door, where Gunn waited for her. Thinking twice, she glanced back at Angel. "Oh, and by the way, I can't _believe_ you even thought about turning me into a vampire…I don't talk that much, and I'm _way_ cuter than Buffy!" 

Angel was stunned. "How do you remember that?" 

She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him. "Hel-lo? I'm the visionary, remember? She who sees? I just didn't tell you about that one," she said, and sailed out into the street. 

*** 

Buffy and Angel took their time walking back to the mansion. Angel was enjoying the sunshine entirely too much, and she was more than happy to oblige him. "Watch the skin though," she warned him. "No sunlight to speak of in 200 years…you'll fry." 

They entered the mansion and faced each other. "Are you tired?" Angel asked her. 

She nodded. "Pretty much…not at all…" she admitted. 

He smiled and walked to her. "Me either." Shyly he took her hand and leaned in to kiss her. Just before their lips met he whispered, "I love you." The kiss began slowly, tentatively. His lips brushed over hers, seeking permission. She gave it, kissed him lovingly in return and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her. 

"Don't ever leave me," she whispered to him. 

"Don't worry," he said, his breath coming quickly. _Breath…_ She felt the change in him…he stiffened a bit. 

"What?" she asked, pulling back from him. 

He laughed shakily. "Nothing, really. I just…I just noticed that I'm breathing…and that it's hard to do when I'm around you." 

She smiled. "Ooohh…score one for the Champion." 

"Lots of changes," he said, deep in thought. 

She nodded. "Lots of things that are going to change." 

"I want to be with you," he told her. "We've got a lot of things to talk about." 

She looked at him skeptically. "Things that are so important that we have to talk about them right now?" 

He didn't hear her. "Where are we going to live? I mean, we're moving in together, right?" he glanced at her for confirmation, then kept going, "and what about the agency? I can't ask them all to move down here. And we'll have to get married…married…wow…huh…I'd never seriously considered that before…" 

"Married?" the one word had caught her complete attention and had made her just a tiny bit nervous. 

He turned to her. "Well…someday…maybe?" 

She smiled at him sympathetically. "Poor Angel. You're having an over-load." She kissed him. "We can work this all out later." She didn't seem to be getting through to him. "Angel!" she said sternly. 

"Take me to bed." 

That got his attention. 

She leaned in and kissed him gently, but as all their kisses did, it quickly intensified. "Sorry," he apologized, then moaned as she undid his belt buckle and her fingers brushed his stomach. They stumbled towards the bedroom, trying not to lose contact with each other as they undressed. She unbuttoned his shirt and he undid her belt. Shoes were cast aside…clothing created a trail. They reached the bed and he lifted her gently and laid her down, quickly moving to lie next to her. His fingers traced her jaw-line, his eyes locked with hers. "I'm going to make you happy," he swore to her. 

"Right now, or forever?" she teased. 

"Both. I'm serious. Always. We'll never do that again…be apart for so long," he said, his eyes determined. 

She nodded, then looked down as her fingers lightly skipped up and down his chest. "Why am I nervous all of the sudden?" 

He grinned sheepishly. "I don't know…but I am too." He kissed her hand. "I think because we're back at the beginning…everything's new." There was a pause before he leaned in to kiss her again. "Now close your eyes." The kiss deepened. She moaned and stroked his back as his hand ran up her thigh. He covered her with his body, marveling in her perfection, and began the dance that would last them long, long into the night. 


End file.
